


It Was You

by ReadingRose18



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Light Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:54:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 55,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24220894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReadingRose18/pseuds/ReadingRose18
Summary: Saiyan/Namek AU. Goku was dead. But the threat was far from over. Bulma had hope that, in a year's time, they would triumph against the Saiyans and that they would be able to go back to living life as they knew it. However, things don't always turn out the way you expect them. They could be worse. Or...they could be better than you had dared to imagine.
Relationships: Bulma Briefs/Vegeta
Comments: 62
Kudos: 134





	1. Unaware

**_Author’s Note:_ **Hey guys! I hope you all are doing well! I present to you this story that wouldn’t leave me alone :D :D! It is an A/U so if anything seems off...roll with it LOL. Without further ado, the first chapter. Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER:** There’s no point to this so I’m not even gonna bother.

* * *

“No...Goku.” Bulma mumbled under her breath, sorrow evident in her voice. She looked down at the little boy, who was a spitting image of his father, in her arms and her vision became blurry as tears flooded her eyes again, threatening to fall down her pale cheeks. How had today turned out so horribly? It was supposed to be a happy day, a reunion of old friends that hadn’t seen each other for a long time. Instead it was a day filled with heartache and death.

It had started when that mysterious man had shown up on Master Roshi’s island. The second she had laid her eyes on him, she had known that he was bad news. The way he carried himself with confidence and the evil glint in his eyes had made her stomach churn and she had taken it upon herself to guard little Gohan from him while his father confronted him. As he kept on speaking, Bulma looked at him more carefully, trying to place why he looked so familiar. It wasn’t long until she got her answer because after Goku had demanded he tell them who he was, he claimed he was Goku’s big brother (Raditz was his name, if her memory served her correctly). Nobody had been ready for him to say something so unbelievable but at the same time, it made perfect sense. The resemblance between them was unmistakable.

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the most shocking news they would end up hearing.

According to Raditz, he and Goku came from a race of warriors far away from Earth. From a planet known as Vegeta that had been destroyed by a meteor around two decades ago, the same time Goku (who he had kept on calling Kakarot as he spoke) was sent to Earth so that he could annihilate all life on the planet so that it was ready to be sold to the highest bidder. 

As fate would have it, Goku would forget about his mission after sustaining serious head injuries and would become a happy little boy with zero inclination to hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. This had not gone over well with that brute as he had taken it upon himself to injure Goku in a battle that was easily to his advantage and had told him to kill one hundred Earthlings by the next day or Gohan would suffer the consequences of his failure. If it hadn’t been for Piccolo showing up when he did, no one knew what was going to happen. The two warriors had made a temporary truce and set out to find Raditz and put a stop to him.

A short while after they left, Bulma had suggested that she, Master Roshi and Krillin head out and look for them to see if Goku and Piccolo would need their help. It would turn out that their arrival had been in vain because when they had spotted the fighters, only one of them was standing….and it wasn’t Goku. The trio had rushed to his side, with Bulma heading for Gohan, and were horrified to see the huge hole in his chest. He was barely conscious, holding to his life by a thread. At that moment, everyone knew that he wasn’t going to make it. His injuries were just too great. In classic Goku form, after having them promise to take care of Gohan, with a smile on his face, he had bid them farewell and passed away with his smile still in place.

The heiress snapped out of her reverie, coming back to the present. She looked over to see Krillin still holding on to Goku’s hand, tears streaming down his face. Master Roshi stood above him uncharacteristically silent, his head dipped low and his eyebrows furrowed in sorrow. The only one among them who was indifferent to the whole thing was Piccolo, who looked at the scene before him with a blank, almost bored expression on his face.

“Goku...Goku, why?” Krillin said, his voice thick with emotion. He had just watched his best friend die right in front of him! Why?! Why hadn’t it been him instead?!

“Hey, look. Goku’s vanishing!” Master Roshi exclaimed. All of them watched as Goku slowly started disappearing, eventually fading away in front of their eyes.

“Wh-what?! Where’d he go?!” The monk asked frantically, turning this way and that, trying to look for his deceased friend.

Piccolo raised an eyebrow before closing his eyes, a smirk crossing his face. “Hm. I know.” He looked up towards the sky, “Kami’s taken him. No doubt, he has some special training in mind for him after hearing what Goku’s brother had to say before he died.”

“What did he say?” Asked Krillin, not really looking forward to hearing his answer.

“There are two other Saiyans, much stronger than he was, that are on their way to Earth to get the dragon balls for themselves before destroying the planet and everything on it.”

“WHAT?!” The trio yelled out, not believing what they just heard. 

“Two more…” Roshi whispered.

“Stronger than him…” Bulma added and stood up with Gohan in her arms, her body shaking with fear at the thought of two more of those monsters who were apparently stronger than this guy was.

Krillin shook his head, feeling more than uneasy about this whole ordeal. “How long till they get here?”

“He said they’ll be here in a year’s time.”

 _‘One year...we have one year before they get here. Kami, it never ends.’_ Krillin mused to himself, not wanting to voice his distress.

“We have to collect the dragonballs so we can wish Goku back, then we have to gather Yamcha and the others. We’re going to need all the help we can get with this fight.” Krillin grit his teeth, his heart heavy with worry. 

“Yeah, and Yamcha’s run off to who knows where.” Bulma said with a frown on her face, still feeling miffed about their recent breakup.

“Well, you’re the one who chased him away.” Krillin pointed out softly with raised eyebrows, used to the constant back and forth between the long-time couple.

The heiress scowled at his smart response before she suddenly perked up, her eyes alight with questions. “By the way, how had Goku’s brother been able to find him so fast when he had just arrived a few hours ago?”

“That device on his face”, Piccolo remarked. “He’d said that it’s able to detect power levels as well as pinpoint the location of a person who’s reading it picked up.”

Bulma’s eyes widened and she looked over at Raditz. “Here, hold on to him.” She passed Gohan to Roshi before heading over to the dead Saiyan. “Krillin, come over here.” When he was next to her, she spoke up. 

“See if you can detach the machine from his face.” 

Krillin looked horrified at her words for a moment before sucking in a deep breath and nodding minutely. “Fine. But if he so much as twitches, I’m outta here.” He slipped it off of him and handed it to Bulma.

She looked it over, marvelling at how the little simple-looking device could be so intricate. She pressed the button a few times before opening the earpiece with a portable screwdriver. “Hey, would you look at that? It’s a little busted up but it still works.” Bulma exclaimed, excited at the sight of the tiny lights showing signs of life in its inner workings.

“That’s amazing Bulma.” Krillin said, smiling up at her.

“I haven’t fixed it yet. But as soon as I figure out how it works, I can tune it up and then we can use it to find the others!”

“Well, then we’d best get home before we can do anything else.” Roshi pointed out.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. There’s nothing for us out here.” Bulma nodded her agreement.

“What will you do in the meantime Piccolo?” Roshi turned to ask the demon before he and the others screeched at the sight before them. They watched as Piccolo yelled out for a moment before, out of nowhere, a new arm shot out of him.

“Wow. That’s a handy move.” Krillin muttered, shocked beyond words at what he just witnessed.

Piccolo stretched out his new arm to try and get used to it. “I’m going to train for the Saiyans. And I’m taking the boy with me so that I can train him for the whole of this year.” He smirked at the stunned look on all their faces.

“Take him? Don’t you need a parents' permission to do that?” Bulma muttered, a nervous grin on her face.

“Yeah...like a form or something.” Krillin added.

The demon scowled heavily, not amused in the slightest at their idiotic comments. “Listen here, I’ve had enough of this. I’m not asking, I’m telling! I’m taking the boy with me, whether you like it or not is none of my concern!”

“But why? Why do you want him?” Bulma said, her voice tinged with concern and dread for little Gohan.

“This boy has untapped potential. I’m going to help him release it in the wild.” Piccolo curled his finger and the others could only watch as Gohan floated out of Roshi’s arms and into his. He turned away and as he was about to fly off, he turned his head to address the trio one last time. “Gather the dragonballs, wish Goku back and find your other useless friends so you can train for the incoming threat. When Goku comes back, tell him he’ll see his son in a year’s time.” With that, Piccolo floated into the air and flew off.

A heavy silence settled over the group for a moment before Krillin broke it. “Wow. After promising Goku we’d take care of his kid, not even five minutes after he died, we let Piccolo take him. Hmph, some friends we are.”

“I don’t think Piccolo has anything bad planned for Gohan. Besides, what use would he have for such a young boy so inexperienced of anything outside of his home? He said he was going to train him, so we just have to pray he keeps his word.” Roshi said, his brows bunched in thought.

“I hope you’re right.” Bulma murmured quietly. “Anyway, let’s go. The sooner we get back, the sooner I can fix this little baby up. I also need to fix up the radar a little before we can set out.”

“Right. Well, let’s do it!” Krillin clenched his fists, anxious to get started. 

_‘Don’t worry, Goku. You’ll be back before you know it’_ He thought confidently.

They all climbed into the plane and headed out.

* * *

_**In a galaxy light years from Earth** _

Stars twinkled softly in the eternally dark atmosphere, looking like diamonds shining against soft black velvet material. Yet from where he sat, it all looked the same. An empty space with almost no life present nearby, except for him and his companion who sat in his own pod beside him.

Vegeta stared listlessly out at the dark mass that was coloured a blood red against the window of his pod. He always preferred to stay awake for a while instead of immediately going into forced slumber courtesy of the stasis gas. It was the only quiet time he really got so he always took advantage of it. Sometimes, destroying civilizations, hearing the blood curdling screams of your victims and the rambunctious laughter of your comrades can cause a bit of a headache so a bit of silence from time to time is appreciated.

He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes, releasing a quiet sigh. A moment later, his peace was disrupted when he heard a slight noise coming from his scouter. Thinking the device was a bit faulty, he went to turn it off when something caught his attention.

“Hey, would you look at that? It’s a little busted up but it still works.” A female voice said.

He slowly raised his eyebrow, suddenly intrigued at the voice. He listened more intently, waiting to hear anything else. The scouter made a fuzzy noise before he heard something again.

“I haven’t fixed it yet. But as soon as I figure out how it works, I can tune it up and then we can use it to find the others!”

Interesting.

Whoever this female is, she claims she could be able to repair the scouter. Normally he wouldn’t care about something so trivial. However, from what he knows about Earth, it’s a backwater planet that isn’t too advanced in the technological department. Or any department for that matter, hence why it was assigned to be wiped of all life before being sold. Now though, he was starting to have other ideas.

He sat back and crossed his arms, his eyes narrowed in thought. If this female proved to be above average in the technological department then she could be considered to be quite clever by her planet's standards. And if she’s associated with Kakarot and the dragonballs, then she could possibly be quite useful. His ears perked up as the scouter made a slight noise again.

“... The sooner we get back, the sooner I can fix this little baby up. I also need to fix up the radar a little before we can set out.” There was nothing else after that. The scouter must’ve finally given in and shut off.

 _‘Radar?’_ He pondered silently. What’s a radar got to do with the scouter? She already has one locator, why would she need another? 

Unless it could be used to find something specific, like the dragonballs...

He shook his head, feeling a headache come on. He was giving a bit _too much_ credit to this woman. There couldn’t be a machine made for the sole purpose of finding the dragonballs. That's not something he would expect a below average race like the Earthlings to come up with.

But it was worth keeping in mind...just in case.

Vegeta pressed the button on his scouter and spoke into it. “Nappa, do you read me?”

Silence.

“Nappa?”

More silence.

_Perfect._

The Prince smirked deviously. It was a good thing Nappa always chose to sleep as soon as they went anywhere. It really worked out in his favour this time. He’d be keeping this little bit of information to himself in the event anything happens. 

He chuckled softly and turned his scouter off. He leaned forward and looked through a list of planets, choosing Arlia as their pit stop before heading to Earth. Vegeta pressed the button to release the stasis gas and sat back in his seat with his eyes closed. Soon, they would reach Earth and he would get his wish for immortality. It was only a matter of time.

The Prince fell asleep a few moments later, his smug look still plastered on his face.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed that. I’ve got high hopes for this fic. Please don’t forget to review. Stay safe and healthy everybody. Peace, love and good vibes to you all! Till next time!
> 
> RR18❤🌹


	2. Deal With The Devil

_One year later…_

“Dammit. That wasn’t the best idea but at least it got the job done.” Goku dropped his arms, his entire body screaming with pain.

He had just barely managed to win a ki battle against Vegeta, his kamehameha swallowing his opponents attack and sending him up into the thin atmosphere. Goku knew that had he not used a four times kaioken charged attack and stayed with three, the outcome would have been totally different. 

Vegeta was easily the strongest adversary he’d ever faced, so strong that Goku had felt a tiny shred of respect for the wayward Saiyan, albeit begrudgingly. His body was wrecked and he was exhausted but he stood firm, knowing the battle wasn’t over yet.

“Goku! You did it! You really did it!” The young Saiyan’s eyes widened in surprise and he turned slightly to spot the source of the voice, his surprise increasing when he saw Yajirobe running towards him at full speed.

“Yajirobe? When did you get here?” He asked when the samurai stopped in front of him. He truly wasn’t expecting him to be here.

“Oh you know, I’ve been hiding behind that rock, waiting for the right time to come in and help you but luckily you didn’t need it! I saw how you managed to defeat him!” Yajirobe slapped Goku on the shoulder. “You’re the man!”

“Ahhhh!!” Goku felt as if his arm was about to fall off. He’d exhausted his body more than he thought if that friendly gesture brought on so much pain. “Sorry Yajirobe. It’s just...I really pushed my body to its limits with that last attack so I’m pretty wasted.”

The samurai crossed his arms, taking in those words. “Well, I’m not surprised Goku. You do have a tendency to overdo things sometimes.”

“Yeah, true. But in this instance, it was worth it.” Goku smiled, looking up at the sky.

“Look at us! The two warriors standing together in victory!” Yajirobe exclaimed proudly, acting like he was useful in some way.

“Nope, not really.” Yajirobe’s face dropped at that. “He’s not dead. If anything, all I've managed to do is really tick him off. I'm willing to bet that when he gets back, he’s going to be in one hell of a bad mood”, Goku said with a grave smile on his face. 

“Well then”, Goku did a double take when he realised that Yajirobe was no longer next to him but was much farther away, “You seem like you have everything under control. I’ll be around if you need my help, although I doubt you will!” Before he could say anything in reply, the samurai scurried away, leaving a cloud of dust in his trail. Goku shook his head at his friend's predictable behaviour and stood tall, waiting for the Saiyan prince to return.

* * *

Vegeta rode the ki blast involuntarily for a moment or two before gaining control of himself. He pushed off of it and watched it travel into the outer regions of space. He grit his teeth, his unfurled tail bristling three times its original size.

“How?! How could it be that I, Vegeta, last of the royal bloodline could be tested so heavily by a lowly third class? One that doesn’t even know his own heritage no less!” His tail lashed violently from side to side. He brought a clenched fist to his face. “That fool thinks he knows what power is?! Well, I’m about to give him a rude awakening!” He laughed maniacally and shot down to the surface.

Goku saw him coming and stood in position. He was fatigued right down to the bone but he was determined to see this through to the end. Vegeta landed with his arms crossed, smirking evilly at him. He couldn’t help but feel slightly unnerved by the crazed look in his opponents eyes. It didn’t bode well for him.

“I must admit that I am quite impressed with you Kakarot. You’ve managed to do what most people have failed to, which is best me at almost every turn. Unfortunately for you, this also means that you have defied me greatly and must be severely punished.” The Prince shook his head in mock despair.

“It’s a shame really. Had you decided to join me, we would’ve been a formidable force. Now it’s too late.”

Vegeta suddenly grinned wolfishly, the knowing look on his face making Goku uneasy. “Don’t feel too bad though. I intend on giving you an end worthy of a traitor to his race.” He lifted one arm, palm facing up. “I had noticed that the Earth’s moon looked to be destroyed. Luckily someone had managed to come up with something that could easily replicate the moon in the event of there not being one. That person...was your father Bardock.”

“My father?!” Goku asked , his mind racing from what he just heard.

“Indeed. He realised that on every planet we invaded, not all of them would have a moon, so he came up with this.” Vegeta conjured a ball of light, its brightness stinging Goku’s eyes from where he stood.

“Your father may not have been one of the best fighters but he was a brilliant scientist for creating an attack that would be a Saiyan warrior's saving grace in the event he needed to transform. And now, your father’s creation will be your downfall!” The Prince smiled maliciously at his younger adversary, his power trip running through him in waves, making him delirious with bloodlust. He tensed his arm, winding it backwards and prepared to toss the ball into the air…

_WHACK!_

Vegeta was caught off guard as Goku unexpectedly phased behind him and kicked him as hard as he could, causing him to fly through the air before crashing into the mountain, his synthetic moon dissipating as he made impact.

“Sorry Vegeta. As much as I’d like to see your transformation, I’m not too keen on risking the destruction of the planet!” More like he couldn’t afford to. He still hadn’t recovered from his previous attack. Letting Vegeta gain the upper hand would be a fatal mistake. Goku stood in silence, waiting for him to make his next move.

The ground started to shake beneath his feet violently. He spread his legs to balance himself and waited. A moment later, Vegeta burst out of the rubble and flew on top of a tall boulder.

“You’re going to regret that Kakarot!” He snarled at his adversary, his tail lashing violently. That synthetic moon had taken a good portion of his energy, now it’s simply gone! That traitor would pay!

“Haaaaggghhh!” The Prince roared as he powered up, determined to end this once and for all. He charged Goku at full speed, his face contorted with rage. They met in the middle and collided in a flurry of punches and kicks. They battled fiercely, the force of their attacks so enormous, the terrain around them shook in response.

Unfortunately for Goku, because of his weakened state, his attacks were uncharacteristically sluggish and uncoordinated. Vegeta saw this and upped his attacks. He punched Goku in his midsection, causing him to cough up a huge glob of blood, and followed through with a roundhouse kick, sending him flying through the open space.

 _‘This isn’t good! I need to finish this fight right now otherwise the Earth is history!’_ Goku thought frantically, panic beginning to course through him. He righted himself before he could crash and charged Vegeta, attacking him with renewed vigor.

The older Saiyan was unprepared when his opponent came flying at him and attacked with everything he had.

_‘Where the hell did he get the power to do this?! He should be incapacitated from all his injuries by now!’_

Goku delivered a powerful uppercut, his fist splattered with Vegeta’s blood, and caught his leg with a tight grip. He spun him multiple times before launching him far into the distance.

_‘Now’s my chance!’_

He quickly flew to the top of a flat top rock and lifted his arms, attempting to gather energy for his spirit bomb. He stood as the energy from the living things around him gave him their energy, all the while he paid close attention to his surroundings.

_‘Come on Vegeta. I know you’re around here somewhere. Show yourself!’_

“Alright, here goes!” Once he gathered enough energy, he focused on trying to form it into a sphere.

“Looking for someone?” 

_‘Oh no!’_

“Ahhhh!” Goku yelled in pain when a small ball of ki passed through his right arm.

Vegeta phased in behind him and punched him on the right side of his back. Goku dropped his arms and began to fall forward, only for him to be caught by the neck with Vegeta’s tail. He gurgled as his windpipes were slowly crushed by the furry appendage.

“It’s a damn shame Kakarot. You really are one of the finest warriors I’ve encountered in all my travels.” The Prince caught one of his flailing uninjured arms and sent another small ki blast through it, preventing him from trying anything else. “But now, it’s time to bring this little game of ours to an end. Say goodbye!” He aimed a ki blast at Goku’s heart, about to end him once and for all.

“Stop!”

The Prince raised his eyebrows and smirked at the newcomers. “Ahh, if it isn’t Baldy and Kakarot’s whelp. Come to join in on the fun?”

“Leave my dad alone!” 

Vegeta smirked deviously at the half-Saiyan child, recognising the fire in the boy’s eyes. His tail tightened around Kakarot’s neck, his smirk growing when he saw the fear in the child's eyes. “And just why would I do that?”

“Because your fight is with me now! Let him go and we can get started!” Gohan said assertively. His little body gave off nothing but confidence, sureness in his abilities to take down the threat to their world.

“Hmph. Very well kid. I’ll indulge you for now.” Vegeta released the now unconscious Kakarot from his hold and turned to face his new foe.

It was on.

* * *

“Damn those sneaky bastards! I shouldn’t have toyed with them for so long!” The Prince snarled.

His three adversaries now lay unconscious before him. Their little scuffle had all been a ploy to distract him so that they could use that attack he had prevented Kakarot from using before they’d arrived. The poor fools had actually thought they had managed to defeat him with that attack. Unfortunately for them, he had no plans on dying on this miserable planet without getting his wish.

“I’ve let this go on for long enough. It’s time to put an end to this.” Vegeta walked slowly towards the young hybrid, intent on starting with him.

“Get away from him!”

Vegeta only had time to turn his head to see a rotund man with a sword fly at him before he felt a burning pain go down his back. 

“You cut through my armour! You...no good...wretch.” He spat out before collapsing on the ground.

“Yeah! I beat him! I did it! I saved the planet! This’ll teach you from trying to mess with the best you scoundrel!” Yajirobe gloated for all the wastelands to hear. His celebration, however, was short-lived when Vegeta started to get up.

“What was that Tubby?” He questioned the now shaking ‘warrior’ in front of him.

Said ‘warrior’ began to slash at him randomly as he advanced on him, only to trip on a small rock behind him.

“Wait, hold on! I didn’t actually mean to hurt you! That was a huge mistake! To be honest, I really admire your fighting style and I was kinda hoping we could be friends-”

A punch to his gut cut him off mid sentence. Yajirobe fell to his knees, struggling to breathe from the heavy attack. He whimpered when he caught sight of Vegeta’s boots in his line of vision.

The Prince wrapped his tail around the man’s neck and slowly lifted him up so they could be face to face. He relished his pathetic whimper when he brought him close to his face. “There is nothing I hate more than cowards with a false sense of bravado who can’t follow through when they make some big claims on their _strength._ ” He whispered in his face with a deceptively soft tone, tightening his hold on his neck all the while. “It makes me sick to my stomach.”

Vegeta continued to tighten his hold on the tubby warrior, intent on carrying this out until the end. “At the very least, I should grant you a death worthy of a weakling. You can thank me when we see each other in Hell.” The man gurgled as his tail tightened even more, his arms flailing uselessly.

“Vegeta stop! Please!”

He looked over to the source of the voice and raised an eyebrow. “Well, well, well. You’re still kicking eh, Kakarot?”

“Don’t kill him! Leave him out of this!” The young Saiyan pleaded for his friend’s life.

“And just why would I do that?”

“It’s obvious that you’ve managed to get the best of us. There’s nothing left for you here! Piccolo is dead which means the dragonballs are useless, remember? This fight is pointless now! Just leave the planet in peace, we won’t stop you!”

The Prince would’ve laughed at the ridiculousness of his last statement if he hadn’t remembered something important. He dropped an unconscious Yajirobe and walked towards his enemy. “You’re right, of course. There is nothing left here. I should just leave this planet and be done with it.” He smirked at the premature relief on the younger Saiyan’s face. “However, I do require something from here before I leave.”

Goku eyed him warily, “What is it?”

“Last year on the day you died, I overheard a voice through my scouter. A female voice. Everything I gathered from what she said told me she was quite intelligent, since she claimed she would be able to fix the damaged scouter.” 

_‘He must be talking about Bulma.’_ Goku’s eyes widened, ice forming in his veins from the fear he felt at hearing those words. 

A wicked grin spread across Vegeta’s lips at the look on Kakarot’s face. He knew exactly who he was referring to. “She also mentioned something about a radar. I can only assume she meant a device that could locate the dragonballs since they were going to hunt for them so they could bring you back to life.” He tsked in mock dejection. “It’s a pity really. If only she’d kept her mouth shut, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

He bent down onto his toes, his onyx eyes never leaving Kakarot’s. “I want you to tell me where I can find her so I can... _kindly_ ask her for the device. Once I get it, I’ll be on my merry way.”

“No!”

“No?” Vegeta asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ll never tell you where she is! No deal! Not happening!” Goku was one hundred percent certain that he would rather die than tell this monster where his most dear friend is. He looked at Vegeta’s blank expression, desperate to know what he’s thinking, what his next move would be.

He was prepared to be beaten for answers. He was prepared to be skewered with more ki blasts as a method of torture to get him to talk. What he wasn’t prepared for was the smirk that crossed his face, the look on his face utterly terrifying.

“Never huh? You know, I do enjoy it when you heroic types use the word ‘never’. ‘I’ll **_never_** tell you what you want to know!’ ‘I’ll **_never_** let you get away with this!’ It amuses me to no end.” He stood up and looked down at his foe, his smirk never leaving his face. “Most of all, I enjoy it because I see it as a challenge.” He turned and walked in the opposite direction.

“A challenge to do what?” Dread was slowly starting to course through Goku’s being. He didn’t like where this was going.

He slowly turned his head to face him, his eyes sparkling with malice. “A challenge to see if you can stay true to your passionate protests...even if the lives of your loved ones are on the line.” 

Vegeta laughed darkly as he went to pick up an immobile Gohan. He held him by the scruff of his torn gi, turning to face Kakarot once again. “You’re a father, Kakarot. One that obviously cares a great deal about his son. Would you really be willing to forfeit his life for the sake of someone who isn’t even your blood?” He straightened three of his fingers, formed an ice blue ki blade and placed it against the young hybrid’s main artery on his neck. Just one nick and he’d be as good as dead.

“Leave Gohan out of this!” Goku tried to wiggle around, doing all he could to try and stop Vegeta, but it was useless. He couldn’t do anything, his body just wouldn’t cooperate. He looked over to Krillin but saw he was still out of commission as well.

“Don’t be absurd Kakarot. He’s been involved since Nappa and I arrived on this planet. Why should I exclude him now, hm?” He moved his lethal fingers below the young boy’s lifeline, making an incision big enough to have his blood slowly trickle down his clothes.

“NO! STOP IT!” 

“Just say the words Kakarot and I’ll leave him be. It would be a shame to do away with such a powerful young boy with so much potential.” He moved his hand back to his artery. “Tik tok. Time’s running out.”

Goku warred with himself but really, he knew what he had to do.

_‘Forgive me Bulma. I’m so sorry.’_

With tears burning his eyes, Goku opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly looked up, a spark in the sky catching his attention. His face paled when he saw it was an airbus. It could only belong to one person…

The Prince frowned at the look on Kakarot’s face and turned to see what got his attention. His eyes narrowed in suspicion at the large yellow aircraft. He looked over at his subordinate. “Friends of yours?” The panicked look on his face gave him the answer he needed. “Well then, how about we go and say hello? Don’t worry Kakarot, I won’t hurt anyone.” 

_‘Yet.’_ He unceremoniously dropped the boy and strolled towards the landing ship.

* * *

“Come on, Bulma! I can walk faster than this hunk of junk! Hurry up!” ChiChi yelled in frustration.

“It’s an airbus, not a plane ChiChi. Just try and relax. I’m going as fast as I can.” Bulma answered, the irritation in her voice barely audible. To be honest, she was just as frustrated as the ox princess was.

After Bubba’s crystal ball had shattered into pieces, she’d waited all of fifteen minutes before deciding to hop on a plane so she could see for herself what was going on. ChiChi had readily agreed with her decision. And so, while ignoring Roshi’s protests, she’d whipped out the airbus so that they could all fit into a vehicle and began their journey to the battlefield.

“I know. I’m sorry, I’m just worried about Gohan and Goku. I just pray to Kami that they’re still alive.” ChiChi spoke in a softer tone.

 _‘At least you have hope that they’re still alive. Unlike Tien, Chiaotzu...Yamcha.’_ Bulma let a few silent tears make their way down her face.

Yamcha. Her sweet, brave Yamcha. He was gone. Just...gone. 

Her heart had broken into tiny shards when she saw him lying on the ground after that _creature_ had self-exploded, taking Yamcha with it. And it was the fault of those horrible, cold blooded Saiyans. 

“I see something up ahead. I think we’re here.” Master Roshi pointed out.

Bulma wiped her face with her hand and looked out the windscreen. He was right. They had arrived. “I think we can land here.” Bulma initiated the landing sequence on an empty patch of land. Once they’d landed, ChiChi had moved to stand in front of the rear door, ready to make a mad dash for her family.

“Come on. Come on.” She whispered as the door lowered to the ground. The second it was low enough for her to cross, she started to make a mad dash for the empty battlefield. ChiChi took three steps out of the ship before she came to a grinding halt, screaming at the sight before her.

“Greetings.” The man before her spoke, a vicious grin on his face.

Bulma jumped at the scream and rushed to the back of the ship. “What?! What’s going on?!” She stopped short when her eyes laid themselves on Vegeta, the one responsible for their sorrow. Her knees threatened to give out as she took in the sight of him.

The Prince turned his attention to the new voice, instantly recognising it as the one he heard a year ago. The first thing he saw was her blue hair, before he saw the rest of her.

_‘What odd colouring…’_

He slowly walked towards the ship, his gaze intent on her. “So you’re the one, huh? The woman who claimed she could fix Raditz’s scouter.” Vegeta laughed at her deer-in-headlights expression as she took in his words.

“How did you-”

“The scouter also works as a communicator, remember? So I heard a lot of what you had to say. Considering the less than stellar status of this planet, fixing something like the scouter should have proved to be a hardship. Yet you claim that you could repair it with your backwater technology.” He was purposely throwing subtle insults at her, trying to goad her into answering him.

Against her better judgement, Bulma narrowed her eyes at him, arms akimbo. “I didn’t just claim to be able to fix it. I succeeded in repairing it and managed to translate the weird language it came with into one I could understand.”

“Oh? Is that right?” The others got out of his way as he continued walking towards the woman.

“Of course.” Bulma kept on speaking with a brave face, even though she was feeling anything but.

_‘Alright Bulma. Play your cards right and we could all get out of this unscathed.’_

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do. “I am one of the most intelligent people on this planet. The company I run is able to make storage capsules for anything that you can think of. Ships, houses, planes. It doesn’t matter. We can encapsulate almost anything.

The heiress felt herself get excited when she saw the intrigue shining in his dark eyes. She almost had it in the bag. “So, in that spirit...I want to make you an offer.”

“Bulma, what are you doing?” Roshi questioned her.

She ignored him, not breaking her stride. “I can build you anything you want, be it a new ship or a brand new and better functioning scouter. I’m offering you my knowledge and skills in exchange for our lives.” Bulma mentally patted herself on the back for her quick thinking. She wasn’t President-in-training for Capsule Corp for nothing.

Bulma watched his blank expression, hoping against hope that he’d accept her offer.

Vegeta took in the woman’s stance, internally scoffing at the confidence in her stance. She thinks she’s already won the battle. Oh, he was going to enjoy bursting her little bubble.

He stopped an arms length away from her. “Well, that all sounds very interesting. However, I want something specific from you. Something I'm sure you already have.”

“What are you talking about?”

The Prince gave her an appreciative once over, his tail swaying contentedly behind him. “I learned, since the Namekian was killed by Nappa earlier on, that the dragonballs here ceased to work. The only other option is for me to travel to his home planet and collect the one there.”

“There are dragonballs on another planet?” Bulma tried to hide the excitement in her voice. This could be the chance she needs to bring the others back.

“Indeed. And this is where you come in.” He felt a smirk come over his lips. “I’m going to need that radar you built so I can find them without hassle.”

The heiress’ eyes widened in shock. “How did you know about the dragonball radar?”

“I didn’t. You just confirmed it for me. Actually, I partially didn’t know. I overheard you speaking about a radar and seeing as you already had a scouter in your possession, I could only assume you were talking about a dragonball locator seeing as you’d been planning to wish Kakarot back. Turns out my hunch was right on the money.”

_‘He tricked me! That shady son of a bitch!’_

If looks could kill, Vegeta would have died a hundred times over. “Of course, that’s not all.” He stepped closer to her, causing her to take a step back. “You’re going to accompany me to Namek and help me find the dragonballs. It only makes sense since, if you’re as smart as you claim to be, you could easily tamper with the radar before handing it over to me.”

“Over my dead body! I’m not going anywhere with you!” 

Vegeta grit his teeth at her screeching before he glared at her for that. “I still need my ear drums, you harpy. Scream like that again and I’ll rip your tongue out. Understand?!” 

Bulma shuddered at the look on his face, her bravado leaving her as quickly as it came. She nodded her agreement, not wanting to piss him off again.

“Good girl.” He chuckled darkly before carrying on. “Now then”, he pushed away from her and walked back towards the group, “I suggest you think about your answer carefully. Of course, I won’t kill you for refusing. You’re essential to my plans. But...that doesn’t mean I can’t kill someone else in your place.”

Alarm went through her at his words. “Wait, what?!”

The Prince grinned in amusement before raising his arm, his palm facing the group. “Or maybe I won’t kill just one. Maybe I’ll just do away with all of them.” As he finished his sentence, he summoned a medium sized ki ball,relishing in the screams of the helpless people in front of him.

“No, stop!” Bulma ran to him and grabbed his outstretched arm. “Fine! You win! I’ll go with you!”

“I knew you’d see it my way.” The energy in his hand vanished and he turned to face the woman.

Roshi spoke up. “Bulma no! Don’t do this! We can find another way to-” 

“To do what?! This is the only way I can make sure the planet is safe!”

Vegeta growled, feeling his patience run thin. “You’re wasting time! Let’s go!”

“Right. We just need to go to my place so we can get the radar.” Bulma stuttered softly.

They walked out the ship, into the open field. Out of the corner of her eye, Bulma spotted Goku and the others. She watched as ChiChi dashed to her two boys, fussing over them. Her eyes burned when she saw the state they were in. if she wasn’t sure about her decision to go with Vegeta before, seeing them injured helped to cement her choice.

_‘This is my chance to bring the others back to life. I’ll find some way to swipe the balls from him. If he kills me for my betrayal, then so be it. In the end, Yamcha and the others would be brought back and hopefully they’d bring me back too.’_

The heiress saw Goku turn his head in her direction, his eyes beseeching her not to do what she was about to do. ChiChi must have filled him in already. She smiled at him, fresh tears filling her eyes.

_‘Don’t worry Goku. I’ll be fine. I promise.’_

“Woman.” Vegeta’s gruff voice brought her back to the present. 

She turned and frowned at him, not liking his nickname for her. “My name is not _Woman._ It’s Bulma.”

“Whatever. Which way is your dwelling?” 

She took out a capsule and pressed it, throwing it up and catching the navigational device that fell from the sky.

The Prince raised both his eyebrows at that. Looks like she was telling the truth about her invention after all.

Bulma typed in her address and waited for the coordinates to show up. “It’s 100 kilometres west of here.” She squeaked when she felt Vegeta grab her waist and roughly pull her into his side. 

Vegeta smirked deviously at the look on her face. “Hold on tight.” He whispered before blasting off full speed into the sky.

Neither of them looked back to see the gang staring after them, the air around them forlorn at the sacrifice of another one of their own.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...I wasn’t expecting to write this much for this chapter. I wanted to add context to it but this is a bit LOL.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, our resident prince is more sinister in this story. I really tried to bring out his evil element. I hope it came out alright.
> 
> I wanna give a shoutout to Lady Red for her review on the first chapter. Thank you! I appreciate it❤🤗!
> 
> Please don’t forget to review. Stay safe and healthy everybody. Peace, love and good vibes to you all✨! Till next time!
> 
> RR18❤🌹


	3. It Begins

Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows, pain radiating over every inch of his body. His eyes slowly opened, surprise visible on his face when he saw he was laying face down in an air vehicle. He groaned painfully as he tried to move, vehemently ignoring his body’s protests telling him to stop moving about.

_‘What the hell happened?’_

“Well I’ll be damned. You’re alive after all.”

That voice…

The Prince finally managed to lean on one of his good arms and looked at the source of the voice. The woman was in the driver’s seat in front of him, her eyes alternating between looking out the windscreen and looking at him through the rearview mirror.

“What are you on about?” He snarled at her, his face contorted in a nasty grimace.

“You don’t remember?” Bulma looked at him through the rearview mirror again, raising a curious eyebrow at him. When she saw his expression start to morph angrily, she rushed to remind him of what happened. “We weren’t even two minutes in our journey before you slowly started falling downwards. I didn’t notice it at first until you lurched sharply towards the ground. You’d barely managed to steady yourself when you suddenly passed out and fell to the ground. Luckily you happened to crash into a meadow so the soft ground broke our fall. 

Unfortunately, we were still a bit too high above ground that when we crashed, I got hurt and you managed to aggravate some of your wounds even more, especially that gash on your back. You were bleeding out heavily so I got out a first aid kit and tried to patch you up as best as I could before taking care of myself. 

I didn’t have the proper equipment on hand to deal with a cut like that so I loaded you on the plane I luckily happened to have on me and carried on the journey home so I could properly treat it there. We’re about five minutes away from my house.”

Vegeta looked down at his torso, noticing the lack of armour and the bandages she’d wrapped around him before he looked at her sitting in front of him. He did a quick scan of what was visible before his eyes landed on the bandage on her left forearm. 

_‘Tch. Such extensive care for such a small cut. What a joke.’_ He sneered internally. 

“I must say that I’m surprised about one thing. When you consider all the injuries you have, the bruised or broken ribs, the various contusions and lacerations, not to mention that wicked cut on your back, for all intents and purposes you should be dead.” Bulma wasn’t sure if that impressed her or made her even more anxious than before.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “If that's the case, then why didn’t you just leave me for dead in that field? That was your chance to be rid of me for good. Why didn’t you take it?” He felt his anger increase the more she remained silent. That could only mean…

“Pathetic.” He spat out. “I neither want nor need your pity you foolish woman!”

“Foolish?!” Bulma repeated in outrage.

“Of course. Only a foolish being like yourself would go to great lengths to heal their enemies when the most logical course of action would be to kill them off to eliminate the threat. And you call yourself a genius.”

“How dare you, you pompous bastard!” Bulma put the plane into autopilot and turned her body to face him, her eyes spitting blue flames at him. “Unlike you, I don’t relish the thought of taking another person’s life! But now, I’m really starting to regret my decision! So you’re right, I really should’ve just left you there to die so that the scavengers could take care of your ungrateful hide!”

The Prince quickly wrapped his tail around her neck, not tight enough to choke her but rather to get his point across, and brought her face close to his. “I’d really start watching my words if I were you, Woman” He whispered in a deceptively soft tone. “I may be seriously injured but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have enough strength to carry out my threat of ripping out your clever little tongue.” He smirked, delighting in the fearful expression that came across her face. Finally, she was beginning to learn her place. “Understand?”

She nodded carefully, her courage leaving her almost immediately, fully aware of the appendage wrapped around her neck.

“Perfect.” He slowly unwrapped his tail from her neck and watched as she went back to her seat. His smirk widened when he caught the scent of her fear, with a hint of her own natural fragrance, as it drifted over to him. The rambunctious little female had quite the temper.

_‘I have a feeling this woman will be a great source of amusement in our travels.’_

The heiress sat in her seat, her shaky hands holding onto the steering wheel.

 _‘I really am regretting my decision to help that arrogant brute. Stupid, stupid, stupid.’_ She admonished herself silently.

When they had crashed, Bulma had been overjoyed, thinking that she had finally caught a break. She’d popped out a first aid kit and treated her arm before getting the airplane out of its capsule. She’d climbed in, ready to get back to her friends.

Until she’d made the mistake of looking over at the unconscious Saiyan.

Bulma had noticed the blood seeping out of his back consistently, knowing that he didn’t have long before the blood loss would kill him. Against her will, her stupid conscience had taken that moment to attack, telling her that she couldn’t leave him in such a sorry state. She’d been less than happy at that, reminding her inner voice that it was because of this man that Yamcha and the others were dead.

In the end, her conscience had gotten the best of her and she’d climbed out of the plane. She’d made her way to him, grumbling to herself all the while, and took off his armour so she could take care of his wound. 

_‘I’m only helping you because you’re the only one that knows where Namek is and you have the transportation to get me there.’_

The heiress had cleaned the large cut and placed cotton wool along the length to absorb the blood before placing adhesive dressing and wrapping his torso with bandages. It was an amateurish job but she didn’t have a lot to work with. She’d loaded him into the backseat, struggling with his dead weight, and flew off as fast as she could in the direction of Capsule Corp.

Now though, she was starting to question her decision, regardless of whether he had the information she needed or not.

Bulma felt her heart race when the huge yellow dome finally came into sight. She flew around the house, wanting to land as close to the infirmary as she could. “We’re here.” 

Vegeta sat up partially, gritting his teeth at the burning pain on his back. He watched as the woman landed beside the building and stepped out, opening the door for him.

“Do you think you can walk to the door?” She asked him, her voice flat.

He rolled his eyes before looking down his nose at her. “Don’t be ridiculous, Woman. Of course I can walk to the door.” Slowly, he made for the door of the plane. He placed one leg down before the other and stood as tall as he could without aggravating his throbbing back and ribs.

Vegeta walked all of two steps before he fell onto his knee, hating how weak he felt at that moment.

_‘Those bastards really did a number on me. If I ever see them again, I’ll be sure to make them suffer tenfold. Then they’ll know the true wrath of the Saiyan Prince.’_

_‘If only being a conceited douche was enough to give you strength, you could have made it all the way to the door on your own.’_ Bulma thought to herself.

After watching him struggle to get up, Bulma let out a tired sigh and walked over to him. “Here. Let me give you a hand.”

“I don’t need your help.” He practically growled at her.

She rolled her eyes, really getting fed up with his stubborn attitude. “Fine. I’ll leave you alone. Just don’t complain when you take 5 days to get to the door, wasting the time for your precious dragonball hunt.”

Vegeta gave her a nasty glare, almost willing her to drop dead with his cold onyx eyes. But inside, he knew she was telling the truth. Every second counted in his mission to gain immortality.

A moment later he scoffed, relenting so she could assist him. “And by the way, my name is not Woman. It’s Bulma. Use it.” 

She came forward and wrapped her arm around his waist.

 _‘Think of the dragonballs Bulma. Just think of the dragonballs.’_

Once she was sure he could move, she slowly made her way to the infirmary.

* * *

Vegeta sat on one of the beds with Bulma standing behind him as she began to properly treat his back. Once she had removed his bandages, she took a wet cloth and wiped the excess blood off his skin. After drying his skin, she took an iodine soaked cotton ball and dabbed his wound without warning to disinfect it.

“Whoops. Sorry.” Bulma muttered dryly when he groaned at the sting of the iodine. 

She prepared a needle and suture and held it to his skin, choosing to warn him this time. “Just so you know, this is gonna hurt.”

At his agreeing grunt, she got to work. While she was busy, her eyes looked him over and she noticed that his body was littered with scars. Bulma hadn’t noticed the first time she aided him since at the time she was trying to get it done as quickly as possible. Now though, she was paying attention.

Of course she wasn’t surprised that he had scars, considering what he did for a living it wasn’t a shock that he had them. It was the way they looked that caught her attention. Some of them looked like the type of scars she’s seen on other fighters before, ‘badges of victory’ as they tended to call them. 

The other scars…

They were too straight. Too precise. No jagged edges, no odd shapes. Just clean breaks in his skin.

He obviously didn’t get these from a fight. These types of wounds came from being lashed with something akin to a whip. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought. She didn’t know Vegeta from a complete stranger but what she did know was that he would never let anyone push him around. He would kill first and ask questions later.

Which begs the question…

 _‘Who did this to you?’_ She wondered worriedly. This person must have been quite tough if they could do this to someone as strong as Vegeta. Bulma just hoped that where they were going, they didn’t run into anyone like that.

A few more stitches and a roll of bandages later and Bulma was done. “There. I did the best I could.”

“It should hold until we get to Frieza Planet Number 79. I’ll heal myself properly when we get there. Speaking of which, it’s time to go.” He said with a blank expression on his face.

“Okay, so just to be clear. We're going to use the spaceships you and your partner came in right?”

“No of course not. We’re going to walk”, he answered with a roll of his eyes, “Obviously we’re going to use the pods.”

Bulma narrowed her eyes but didn’t say anything to that. “Well, it’s been hours since you guys arrived and the authorities and higher ups must have already taken them away by now considering it’s almost evening.”

“What’s your point?”

“How do you plan on getting to them when you don’t even know where they are?”

Vegeta looked at her like she was a child before reaching for his torn lycra shirt. He felt around for a moment before pulling out a small remote control. “With this little gadget, I can summon the pods from wherever they are to my current location.”

“Amazing.” She said softly, the scientist in her buzzing with curiosity at the little device.

“You _would_ think it’s amazing.” He missed her glare as he typed in the command for the pods to head for their location.

“Prick.” Bulma muttered under her breath.

“I heard that.” He turned to face her, “The pods will be here shortly, give or take five minutes.”

The heiress nodded and cleaned up the mess from treating Vegeta, stopping short when she saw him put in his torn shirt. “Hold on. Can you leave the breastplate behind?”

“What for?” He scowled at her out of the side of his eye.

“I may want to study when I get back.”

“ _When_ you get back huh?” He questioned with a small yet devious grin. “I do like your confidence. But whatever, keep it. It’s not like I’m going to need it anyway.”

Bulma simply shook her head and carried on. When she was done, she looked down at her clothes and frowned. “My outfit is all dirty. I need to change, as in yesterday.”

“There’s no time for that.” He said in a flat voice.

“But-”

“You can satisfy your vanity when we arrive on Planet Frieza, there are more important issues to be addressed. Get the radar and your essentials and let’s go.”

Bulma felt her face turn hot at his words. “Vanity?! You brat! Who do you think you are, calling me vain?! Why I ought to-”

Her words were interrupted when Vegeta hooked a finger in her collar and pulled her down to be level with his eyes. “Now female. We don’t have all day.” 

The heiress pulled herself out of his grip and took a step back. She glowered at him, her eyes scorching him with their fire, before she stomped out of the infirmary. When she was gone, Vegeta chuckled softly, feeling amused at the woman’s behaviour. It seemed she had a temper to match his own. He grinned at the thought, his canines shining in the artificial lighting of the room.

Yep. She was definitely going to be a great source of amusement in their travels.

* * *

Bulma burst into her room, her face flushed with anger. She was ready to murder something. Or more specifically, _someone._

“I don’t care that he’s a thousand times stronger than me, I’ll kill him somehow!” She yelled at no one in particular.

She snatched her large pink backpack and stuffed it with the things she’d need. A change of clothes, a capsule case, her essential items and finally the dragon radar. She roughly zipped the bag closed, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself down.

“Bulma dear. Is that you?” A soft voice asked from her door.

The heiress turned around and saw her mother standing by the entrance to her room, her ever present smile set on her face. “Oh, hi Mama”, she said in a soft tone, her mother’s presence helping to curb her temper slightly.

“When did you get back sweety? I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Oh not too long ago.” She turned to face her mother. “Listen mom, this may come as a bit of a shock but I’m not staying long. I actually came here to get some things cause I’m going dragonball hunting.”

“Really? But it’s dark out honey. Can’t it wait till the morning?” Bunny asked, a small worried frown on her face.

“Nope it can’t. We lost some of our friends in the battle today so we want to bring them back as soon as we can.” She left out the part about how she’d have to go offworld to do it. She hated lying to her mother but she knew it had to be done. Bulma felt her eyes burn when she thought about how this could be the last time she sees her.

“Oh no! That’s awful!” Her hands flew up to cover her mouth in shock. Oh, those poor darlings! Now she understood why Bulma needed to leave so badly. “Alright then hon. I understand. Just be safe, okay?” Bunny told her, a warm smile chasing away the worry in her eyes.

“I will, I promise.” Bulma hugged her mother tightly, taking in her comforting scent. “I love you Mama.” She whispered softly.

“I love you too darling.” Bunny gave her daughter a squeeze and kissed her forehead before letting her go. 

“Tell Dad I’ll be back soon and that I love him too. See you later!” Bulma said before making her way out the door, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks.

Until now, it hadn’t really dawned on her that she may not make it out of this alive. Sure she’d thought about it while planning to steal the dragonballs from Vegeta but it hadn’t sunk in fully before. Now though, she was feeling it. She’d just lied to her mother, knowing full well she may not see her again. She just felt...horrible.

_‘Stop it Bulma! Don’t think like that! You have to believe you can make it out of this situation alive. You just have to.’_

A few minutes later, she arrived at the place she’d landed her plane and found Vegeta already there along with the two pods.

“Took you long enough.” He said snarkily.

“Oh hush. I’m here aren’t I?”

Vegeta merely shook his head at her, not bothering to respond before he had her get closer to where he was. “I’ve already set the coordinates to Planet Frieza. When you get in your pod, you’re going to press this button to blast off”, he pointed at the red button, “Then when the ship steadies out, you’ll press this one to release the stasis gas.” He pointed at a blue button for that. “That should be simple enough for you to understand.”

Bulma glared at him sharply. “Are you always this much of an ass? Or am I just a special case?”

The Prince barked out a scornful laugh and turned to his pod. “Please. Don’t flatter yourself Woman.”

“My name is Bulma!” She yelled, getting fed up at his stupid nickname for her.

“Whatever.” Before she could say anything, his pod closed its door, hiding his stupid face from her.

The heiress got into her own pod, mumbling curses under breath the entire time. Once the door shut, she pressed the red button. She barely sees Vegeta’s pod lift off before she blasts off, her ears popping at the speed it was going. A moment later, her ears gave her a break and she looked out the window.

“Oh...my...Kami…”

Bulma was awed at the stars as the ship whizzed past them, their usual bright white hue now a soft pink courtesy of the red glass. Excitement started running through her when she realised that she was the first human to travel so deep into the vast unknown reaches of space.

Soon after, Bulma shook her head, trying to clear the magic from her brain. She needed to come up with a plan to wish her friends back. The heiress knew that once she managed to successfully swipe the dragonballs from her captor, he was going to kill her. It was a risk she was willing to take. But she needed to think of a way to make the wish before he did so. 

_‘How though? How do I successfully deceive a person who is so much stronger and faster than I am? It’s a daunting idea, but if there’s anyone who could come up with an answer to that problem, it’s me.’_ Bulma nodded her head at that thought, her face steely with determination.

She reached forward and pressed the stasis button, waiting for the gas to knock her out.

_‘Don’t worry Yamcha. I’ll wish you and the gang back before you know it. Even though it’s unlikely, I hope I can live through this so that when I get back, we can be together again, just like old times.’_

That was the last thought that passed through her mind before everything went black.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, the pair leaves Earth to begin the hunt for the dragonballs! Things are about to get complicated real soon for these two.
> 
> I wanna give a shoutout to wistfulmuse for your review on the last chapter. It’s very much appreciated, thank you so much😊❤
> 
> Please don’t forget to review! As usual, keep safe and happy everyone. Peace, love and good vibes to you all🎆✨! Till next time!
> 
> RR18❤🌹


	4. Tiny Discoveries

_About a month later…_

Vegeta’s eyes fluttered open as the pod’s computer informed him that they were about to arrive on Planet Frieza. He attempted to stretch out his stiff muscles, only to hiss when he felt a sharp pain go through his body. However, it wasn’t as bad as it had been on Earth. The month long rest had done him a bit of good and the aid from his little captive had also helped slightly. But he needed the isolation chamber to get back to full health.

Speaking of his captive…

He opened the line to Nappa’s ship and radioed in. “Woman. Woman, wake up.”

Bulma opened her eyes at the sound of Vegeta’s voice, feeling groggy and disoriented. 

“Mm, Vegeta?” She rubbed her eyes and stretched, working out the kinks in her back.

“Get up. We’re almost at Planet Frieza.”

“Oh, okay.” She yawned and lightly slapped her cheeks to try and chase away her fatigue. “How long have we been travelling?”

“Just over a month.”

_‘What did he just say?’_

If she wasn’t fully awake before, his words made sure she was now. The heiress’ eyes widened in shock when she fully took in his words.

“Just over a month?! But it feels like we left just yesterday!” She exclaimed, still trying to wrap her head around what she heard.

“That’s the beauty of the stasis gas. Time passes in the blink of an eye, no matter how far you travel.”

“Whoa. Unreal.” She whispered, fascinated beyond belief at this new concept of space travel.

“Woman.” He said sternly, catching her attention.

Bulma frowned at the air, really getting annoyed at his name for her. “My name is Bulma!”

“Whatever. In any case, your name doesn’t matter for what’s about to happen.”

“What do you mean?”

“Listen up and make sure you follow along. I need you to act like you’re my slave, more specifically, my pleasure slave.”

“What? Why?”

“Maybe if you didn’t interrupt me, I’d have told you why.” Bulma rolled her eyes but said nothing. 

“When we arrive on the planet, you’ll probably come across some of Frieza’s soldiers. When you do, make sure you don’t make direct eye contact with any of them, don’t speak with them unless I give you permission to and, for the love of all the Gods, do NOT argue with me in front of them. You need to act as meek as possible. A big ask for you but I’m sure you can do it.” He said mockingly.

Bulma ignored his mocking statement. “Why do you need me to act like a...pleasure slave? Why can’t I just act like your scientific slave? It just seems like it makes more sense since I am a genius and all.” 

“Because if anyone was to find out that you were a ‘genius’, you would be taken away and would be forced to work for Frieza in his science department. And that’s only IF you’re lucky enough to be taken there.”

What does that mean?

She was about to ask him to explain when she felt the ship lurch forward before coming to a standstill.

“We’re here. I’m coming over to your pod. Get out of it and wait for me.” He commanded.

“Would it kill you to say please for once?” 

Silence.

“Typical.” She shook her head at his attitude. Really, for a prince, he acted like such a prick. Bulma encapsulated her backpack, put it in her pocket and stepped out of the ship.

“What...the…”

They were surrounded by the dark blanket of space and millions of winking stars. The sky looked like it had been splashed with black paint and then decorated with glitter and tiny diamonds, covering it the whole way. Her lips parted as she took in the breathtaking scene, utterly mesmerized at the gorgeous sight.

“Well, what do we have here?”

The heiress froze at the unfamiliar voice and slowly turned around to face the source. Before her were a handful of people that she could only assume were Frieza’s soldiers. A few humanoids and a green reptilian being were gazing at her curiously. She felt her heart start to beat faster when their curious looks were exchanged for more intense gazes.

Suddenly remembering Vegeta’s words, she quickly dropped her eyes to the ground and held her hands in front of her, trying to seem as harmless as possible. Which wasn’t hard since she was genuinely nervous about her situation. Five of them against one of her? It was a miracle her body wasn’t shaking harder than it was at the moment.

“Unless you all intend on being emasculated for drooling over _my_ slave, I suggest you take a step back right now. Or don’t. I’m in a hell of a bad mood and I really need an outlet.” Vegeta said, his tone gentle yet deadly.

Never had Bulma been so glad to hear anyone’s voice as much as his at that moment.

The soldiers quickly stood ramrod straight and stepped to the side, making room for Vegeta to walk through them, his head held high and his body language screaming arrogance despite his injuries. 

He reached the woman and stopped in front of her, lifting her chin so she could face him directly. He saw the relief in her eyes at his appearance. He could also smell her fear, it permeated the air around them the way it was so strong. Vegeta could feel the eyes of the other soldiers behind him, watching carefully to see what he would do next. Well if it was a display they wanted, then he would give it to them.

For what better way to make sure they all keep to themselves than a visual demonstration?

The Prince wrapped his arm around Bulma’s waist and pulled her up to him, ignoring the pain going through his body. He put his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. He felt her stiffen in his embrace, the scent of her fear becoming stronger. 

There was something else beneath her fear though. It was faint but it was there. A sweet, alluring smell. Vegeta took another deep breath, trying to get another whiff of that captivating scent again, and exhaled against her neck, smirking at the resulting shudder. 

He leaned back and looked in her eyes again, his smirk widening when he saw her dilated pupils and flushed cheeks. There was also a renewed angry fire in her eyes, their flames scorching him where he stood. He felt his body respond, his tail unwinding and swaying softly. This woman, Bulma, could prove to be far more intriguing that he had originally thought.

Vegeta grabbed her upper arm, not enough to hurt, and started walking towards the building. He made sure the deadly promise in his gaze was still present as he walked past the soldiers, hoping for their sake that they got the picture. Once they were out of sight and earshot, he decided to drop the act and address the woman.

“So, you DO know how to follow orders. I’m impressed Woman.” He said, still holding on to her arm.

“Yeah yeah whatever. I just have one question for you.” He looked over at her. “What the hell was that about earlier? That wasn’t a part of the plan!” Bulma said loudly.

“Keep your voice down.” He growled, narrowing his eyes at her. “I had to do it so that your role would be understood by the others. And believe me when I say that they got the message.”

“There you go again, talking about my role as your sex toy. Explain to me why, out of all the things you could have come up with, you had to go with that?”

Vegeta smirked mockingly at her like she was a naive child. “The universe isn’t as pretty as you foolishly believe Woman”, he gestured to the space around them, “In this world, there’s no such thing as _equality_ or _trust._ Because of your exotic looks alone, you’d be worth a fortune in the sex slave market. Your _genius_ would mean absolutely nothing to those people.”

He held a hand up to stop her from speaking. “It’s the bitter truth. Your brain wouldn’t be enough to save you if you found yourself in such a situation. In Frieza’s domain, it’s kill or be killed. Only the strongest survive while the weak fall.”

_‘In Frieza’s domain…’_

“I remember you speaking about Frieza before we left Earth. At first I assumed it was just the name of the planet. You’re obviously speaking about an actual being. So, who is Frieza?”

They stopped in front of a door and the Prince turned to face her, his face cold and expressionless. “Frieza is the emperor of the universe. A tyrant known across the galaxies. And a creature you better hope you never cross paths with.” With that, Vegeta led them inside the room, his words leaving Bulma feeling less than uneasy.

* * *

“Prince Vegeta! I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Bulma looked over to see a short, bird-like man with an orange mohawk speaking to Vegeta. He wore armour similar to the one Vegeta wore on Earth, except it had white material flowing from the shoulders down to the floor. She looked around the room and spotted medical equipment lying around the room.

_‘He must be the doctor.’_

“And I wasn’t expecting to be back here anytime soon, but we can’t always have it our way can we, Malaka?” He asked, his tone oddly...lenient. Almost pleasant.

“Of course not your Highness. So, I take it you need to use the isolation chamber?” Bird-dude asked.

At his answering nod, Malaka bowed. “I’ll have it set up immediately.” 

The heiress looked on in silence at their interaction. She was surprised that Vegeta had the ability to actually be decent when he wanted to. It was strange seeing this side of him. That’s not to say he was being completely friendly towards the doctor but she could see that he respected the man. Curious.

Bulma decided to take advantage of the moment and think about her own predicament. Up until now, she had yet to come up with a plan to acquire the dragonballs for herself after she gets them from Vegeta.

_‘Steal them from Vegeta is more like it. But it can’t be helped. I need the dragonballs so I can wish the others back. My only problem is how I can get them away from him without him noticing until after I made the wish, since a second before I do is a second too long.’_

Bulma could feel herself losing hope. With how strong and fast Vegeta is, not to mention very intelligent, she was struggling to see how she could get the job done.

_‘No! I can’t think like that. Vegeta may be smart but I’m sure I can find a way. Everyone’s counting on me. Yamcha’s counting on me. I can’t let them down. I refuse.’_

“So, who did you say you were again?”

Bulma snapped back to reality when she heard those words and saw that the doctor was addressing her. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

“I asked who you are Miss.” Malaka repeated.

“Oh. My name is Bulma.” She said softly.

“I see. Though you must have heard the Prince say it, my name is Malaka.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Bulma said with a small smile on her face. Call her crazy but she couldn’t sense any malice or ill intent from this man. She felt...easy around him.

“Likewise. So, what relation do you have with the Prince if you don’t mind my asking?”

At that, Bulma felt her smile drop. “I’m his slave. His...pleasure slave to be exact.”

Malaka raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Is that so?”

She nodded, feeling her throat get dry the more he stared intently at her. It felt like he was trying to stare deep into her soul, trying to see if she was telling the truth or not.

“You’ll have to forgive me Miss…”

“Briefs.” She finished for him.

Malaka nodded, “Yes, well, you’ll have to forgive me Miss Briefs but I can’t bring myself to believe that. If one wants to acquire a slave for themselves, they have to ask Frieza for permission. Prince Vegeta is a proud man who would never bring himself to ask permission for such nonsensical things.”

Bulma took in that tidbit of information. It sounded like Frieza was more of a dictator than an emperor. “Can you tell me more about him? Frieza I mean. Vegeta told me that he was the lord and tyrant of the universe but I’ve never heard of him until now.”

The good doctor frowned at that. Just what type of primitive planet did she come from where Frieza was not heard of? More importantly, what was so special about her that Vegeta decided to take her from her planet? This was most unusual.

“If the Prince told you that about Frieza then you best take his word for it since, out of all his soldiers, he is the one who is most acquainted with the Emperor’s cruelties. Lord Frieza is the most feared ruler in the universe. His name alone is enough to spread fear through the hearts of countless people. 

He’s personally responsible for the slaughter of billions across the galaxies, destroying planets at a whim, pillaging them of their resources. Frieza rules the universe with an iron fist. All those who dare to oppose him are always granted a slow, painful death.”

“And Vegeta works for this monster?!” Bulma asked, horrified at what she’d heard. How could a being like that exist?! How has no one stopped him yet?!

“Not willingly.” Malaka gazed at her intently, making sure she understood his next words. “You must understand my dear, that out of all of Frieza’s soldiers, ninety five percent of them don’t work for him because they want to. They do it because they have to.”

“They have no choice?” She whispered.

“See, that’s the thing. They do have a choice. Either you work for Frieza...or you die.”

Bulma shook her head minutely, her heart heavy with dread.

“Many of his soldiers have tried to rebel against him, oppose him. All of them never lived to see another day. Well...all except one.” Malaka directed his gaze towards the chamber. Bulma saw this and followed, her eyes widening when she realised he was talking about Vegeta. Her mind went back to his words from earlier on. 

_“In Frieza’s domain, it’s kill or be killed.”_

When he said those words, his expression had been vacant, his tone flat. But she could feel the contempt coming off of him in waves even though he tried to hide it.

“He’s defied Frieza multiple times, yet he’s the only one who survives.” Malaka said, reading the shock on the woman’s face. “He’s Frieza’s personal favourite, the only one allowed to defy him in that manner. However, his deeds never went unpunished.”

 _‘The scars on his back.’_ Bulma thought to herself. He must have gotten those when he went against Frieza.

“What do you mean he’s Frieza’s favourite? You mean like his favourite soldier?”

The good doctor hesitated for a second. “Something along those lines.”

“Why does he favour Vegeta so much?”

Malaka shook his head. “I can’t tell you that.”

“But-”

He raised his hand to stop her. “I’ve already told you too much as it is. If Vegeta decides to tell you about his time under Frieza then that’s his choice. I’ve said enough.”

“Okay fine. But...one more question?” He looked reluctant to allow it. “Please?” She asked sweetly.

At his tentative nod, she shot her last question. “The way Vegeta’s been going on about this place and its people, I’d been preparing myself to encounter some...unpleasant people. And I have, just outside. But you...you’ve been cordial since we got here, especially to Vegeta. How come?”

Malaka smiled minutely, his gaze far away as he spoke. “I’ve been with the Saiyans since before their planet was destroyed by that meteor.” Bulma’s eyes widened for the millionth time at those words. “I’ve taken care of the Prince since he was a young boy. In this world, it’s extremely hard to find a constant. When you do find it, you tend to keep it close, even if you don’t realise it.”

They stood in silence after that, Bulma taking in his words. She needed to process it all.

“Um, I don’t suppose there’s a room where I can change my clothes?”

The doctor looked around, not seeing anything that looked like a bag lying around. “Change into what? You didn’t bring any luggage with you.”

Bulma smiled widely, pulling out one of her capsules. “As a matter of fact, I did.” She pressed the button and threw it to the floor.

_POOF!_

Malaka’s eyes widened when he saw a pink backpack materialize out of thin air. “How...did you do that?”

“It’s called encapsulation. My-” She stopped herself before she gave away too much. “My planet’s best scientists came up with this concept. It’s a really handy thing to have. You can encapsulate anything of any size in these and carry them around you in your pocket.”

“I see.” He said, still amazed at what he saw. “Alright. I’ll step out for a few minutes to give you some space.”

“Doctor?” Bulma called before he walked out. He turned to face her. “Thank you.”

Malaka knew she wasn’t thanking him for giving her privacy. He nodded minutely and stepped out.

The heiress sighed heavily and retrieved some wipes from her bag to clean her grimy skin as much as possible before getting out her yellow jumpsuit, black shirt and leggings and her brown boots. As she changed, she went over everything she heard.

_‘Boy, that was a lot to take in.’_

If everything he said about Frieza was true, then it was obvious that he was stronger than Vegeta. Way stronger it seemed. She couldn’t understand how that was possible. He was easily the strongest adversary they had ever faced. To think there was someone who was worse than him…

She shuddered, trying to chase away the thought. “I really hope I never cross paths with this guy. He sounds like a monster, the true boogeyman under your bed.”

As she zipped up her jumpsuit, she looked over at Vegeta floating in the healing liquid. _‘A monster you apparently had to unwillingly work for. Is that why you want the dragonballs? So you can...I don’t even know what. What exactly is your plan for them?’_

Bulma put on her pink headband, completing her outfit. _‘As much as I want to know, I can’t take that chance. I need that wish to bring my friends back.’_

She put her old clothes in her bag and encapsulated it again, just as the door slid open. Not a moment later, a beeping sound was heard in the room.

“Ah. It appears he’s completely healed.” Malaka said as he walked in the room. He drained the liquid and the chamber’s seal let out a hissing sound as it opened.

Bulma watched as Vegeta stepped out of the machine, looking much better than before...and was as naked as the day he was born. She felt her cheeks burn and she whipped around quickly to face the wall.

_‘You’d think he’d remember that there is a lady in the room!’_

“Unlike you modest Earthlings, Saiyans have no qualms with the concept of nudity.” Vegeta said teasingly.

But of course she said that out loud! Apparently her brain to mouth filter needed a few adjustments.

When she heard the two men conversing, she deemed it safe enough to turn around and see how his injuries had fared. Luckily, he had put some pants on so she inspected the top half of his body. Minus the old scars, he looked good as new. His bruises were gone, his burns had healed and he was breathing normally, which told her his ribs were healed as well. 

_‘Man, I need to figure out how to build a machine like this. It would really come in handy for when the guys are hurt from a fight.’_

“I’m pretty sure it’s rude for a _lady_ to stare so unashamedly Woman.”

Too late Bulma realised that they had stopped talking and looked up to see Vegeta smirking at her deviously, his onyx eyes alight with mischief. She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment and she glared at him intensely, thinking of many ways to wipe that smirk off his face. Eventually, she huffed and looked away from him.

_‘Arrogant ass.’_

Vegeta chuckled at her silly behaviour and donned the rest of his armour. As he was slipping on his boot, Malaka came into view, holding a scouter in his hand. “Thanks but no thanks Doc. I won’t be needing that little gizmo.”

“What? How come?” He asked, confused at the Prince’s words.

“Let’s just say I learnt a few new tricks while I was away.” Vegeta said, his tone rich with smug satisfaction.

“I see.” Malaka said nothing after that, scrutinizing the Prince a bit more. He noticed a change in his demeanor. Vegeta was confident, much more confident than he’d seen in years, when he was still a young boy. He wondered what could be the cause of such a change.

“We’re finished here. It’s time to head out.” Vegeta turned to face his little captive. “Let’s go.”

Bulma quickly followed Vegeta out the door, turning to face the good doctor. “Goodbye Doctor Malaka. Take care! Thanks again!” 

“Goodbye Miss Briefs.” He said as she walked out the room. Malaka narrowed his eyes in thought before chuckling to himself. “Pleasure slave indeed.”

Vegeta may be able to fool other people but he knew the Prince too well. Not to mention, that young lady was the farthest thing from a slave he’d ever seen. She was lively, spirited and kind. Intelligent as well, if the look in her eyes when she materialized her bag was anything to go by. 

When she explained how those capsules work, her expression was radiant with pride, the type of pride that comes from creating a revolutionary invention. He had a feeling that the scientists she was referring to were actually herself and some other people.

Malaka sighed before turning to clean up the equipment. He still had no idea what Miss Briefs meant to Vegeta, but he just hoped that she headed his and Vegeta’s words and kept out of Frieza’s line of sight. A person full of life such as herself doesn’t deserve to have it extinguished in such a horrible manner.

* * *

As they were walking down the hallway, Vegeta thought about the next step in his plan.

He wasn’t kidding when he said he didn’t need the scouter anymore. Somehow, he’d managed to learn how to detect ki the same way his Earth adversaries could without the help of a device. This would prove to be very useful when he eventually arrived on Namek and began his search for the dragonballs.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Prince Vegeta. Long time, no see.”

Vegeta looked up to see Cui standing in the middle of the hallway, arms akimbo and a smirk on his fish face. He felt the woman stiffen next to him and he tightened the hold on her arm. “Yes well, clearly it wasn’t long enough.”

Cui ‘tsked’ in mock reprimand. “So rude. You shouldn’t talk like that to your superiors Vegeta.” His gaze fell to the woman. “And who’s this weak little thing? You know you aren’t allowed a slave without permission Vegeta. Just what would Frieza say, hm?”

“Like I care what he thinks. Now, out of my way. I have more important matters to worry about.” Vegeta walked past Cui, his grip still firm on Bulma’s arm.

“Important matters like Namek, am I right?”

The two of them stopped in their tracks when they heard that word exit his mouth. “Come again?” Vegeta asked, his back still towards Cui.

“You’re on your way to collect the dragonballs on Namek, aren’t you?”

“How the hell did you know?!” Vegeta turned to face his foe, his anger increasing tenfold.

“How else? With the scouters, dear _Prince._ ” Cui spat out the word like it was cursed. “It’s too late though. Frieza is already there and is collecting them as we speak. So sorry Vegeta.” He laughed cruelly.

No.

No.

NO!

No way was he going to let Frieza steal his wish! He’d die before he let that lizard take this from him!

Without a second thought, he quickly tossed Bulma over his shoulder and dashed for his pod, snagging the scouter from Malaka’s hand as he passed him. Ignoring the woman’s protests, he carried on as fast as he could go. When he made it to his ship, he placed Bulma on her feet and climbed in, pulling her in with his tail.

“Hey! I may not be made of glass but I’m not as resilient as you are, you big lummox!” Bulma yelled.

“Quiet female!” Vegeta barked, quickly setting the coordinates for Namek. He barely saw Cui running towards them when the ship lifted up and blasted off for Namek. He was about to press the stasis button when Bulma stopped him.

“Hold up buddy boy! I want answers! Why do you want the dragonballs so badly?!”

“That’s none of your-!”

“You’re going to be using _my radar_ to find them! So I’d say I deserve some answers as to why you want them so badly!”

He snatched his hand away from hers. “It’s not a want you clueless woman! I need those balls so I can obtain my wish for immortality!”

“What?!” She yelled, unable to believe what she just heard. “Immortality? Why would you want to wish for something as asinine as that?!”

Silence.

“Asinine?” The heiress shivered a little, the cold anger in his deceptively soft tone setting her on edge. 

“Vegeta, I-”

“You don’t even know the meaning of the word. Asinine is being told that your planet was destroyed by a meteor, along with its entire population. Asinine is when you realise that you and three others are the only ones left in the entire universe. Asinine is when you’re ripped away from your planet and forced to serve a disgusting lizard for more than twenty years!”

_Holy shit!_

Bulma felt her heart lurch when she heard that last statement. More than twenty years? But that would mean...that he was just a little boy when he started working for Frieza. Her mind went back to what the doctor said.

_“If the Prince told you that about Frieza then you best take his word for it since, out of all his soldiers, he is the one who is most acquainted with the Emperor’s cruelties.”_

What kind of monster would do that to a small boy?! Ripping his childhood, his life away from him before it had barely even started?!

“Vegeta-”

“I suggest you stop talking right now.” He said, interrupting her.

“But-”

“I am hanging on to my control by a thread and you’re really not helping matters. I suggest you stop talking before I do something I probably won’t regret until it’s too late. Do you understand me, Bulma?” He whispered in a deadly gentle tone.

The heiress’ lips parted in shock at hearing him say her name for the first time. She nodded silently, deciding to keep her mouth shut.

The Prince narrowed his eyes in annoyance and pressed the stasis button. He couldn’t believe he had just blurted that out to her! The damned woman was going to be the death of him!

He shook his head at that, deciding it didn’t matter. He had more important things to worry about.

_‘Frieza’s probably collected a few balls by now. I just need to get one for myself and then after that, I’ll figure out a way to get the rest.’_

Vegeta closed his eyes, feeling a smirk form on his lips as he envisioned the horrified look on the lizard lord’s face when he realises his precious hoard is gone.

_‘By then it’ll be too late. I would’ve already made my wish for immortality and then...then I can watch as Frieza bows in fear before I watch the life leave his eyes as I give him an end befitting of a coward. An end at the hands of the true ruler of the universe.’_

That was the last thought that crossed his mind before he fell asleep, his dreams filled with his victory against the tyrant of the universe.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, we get a little bit of insight as to how Vegeta lived under Frieza. This is just the tip of the iceberg ladies and gents.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I really had a lot of fun with this one.
> 
> As always, stay healthy and happy everyone! Please review! Peace, love and good vibes to you all🎆✨! Until next time!
> 
> RR18❤🌹


	5. Musings

_ A couple of days later… _

Steam billowed around the sleeping aristocrat, attempting to wake him from his slumber. Vegeta came to slowly, taking in his surroundings. He felt something on top of him and belatedly remembered that he had the woman sitting on his lap. She was leaning against him, her even breathing telling him that she was still asleep despite the ship's attempts to wake her.

He opened his eyes and the first thing his gaze fell upon was her blue hair. 

_ ‘Such odd colouring.’  _ He thought as he took in the silky strands. Bulma shifted in his lap, trying to find a comfortable position. 

The movements had her head shifting to the side, unknowingly exposing her pale neck to him in her sleep. Her natural scent drifted over to him, untainted by the smell of her fear for the first time. The Prince leaned into the crook of her neck and took a deep breath, her sweet scent causing his body to come alive with desire, and exhaled, smirking at the resulting shiver that wracked her small frame.

"Vegeta?" She said in a soft voice, wariness present in her tone. Looks like she's woken up.

"We'll be landing in a few minutes." He whispered in her ear, his smirk growing when he saw the pulse on her neck move erratically as she nodded her acknowledgement. He couldn't help but wonder how different his name would sound if she was saying it in a more  _ intimate  _ setting.

Vegeta may be a lot of things but a blind man he is not. He had long since acknowledged that the woman sitting on his lap was gorgeous, since he first saw her on Earth if he was getting technical. However, he had pushed those thoughts aside in favour of finding the dragonballs on Namek in order to obtain his wish for immortality with the  _ help _ of said woman. He was prepared for her to be afraid of him. He was prepared for her to try and escape.

What he wasn’t prepared for was the wrath of her fiery temper and her sharp tongue.

She had a short rein on her temper and could spit venom from her blue eyes. Bulma let him know when she was displeased with him, not afraid to hide her true emotions. Her fire drew him to her like a moth to a flame. 

That wasn't the only thing that attracted his attention.

He'd seen her form in the outfit she'd had on before she changed into her current outfit. Her ridiculously short skirt had shown off her shapely legs and her top had hugged her curvy body nicely. But the one thing that had really caught his eye was her blue hair, the peculiar shade instantly snagging his attention.

Blue is one of his favourite colours after all.

Really, considering her physical appearance and the temper to rival his own, it was no surprise that he was attracted to her. And he knew he wasn’t alone in that department. No matter how much she tried to hide it, he knew she was attracted to him as well. He wanted to see her face flushed with pleasure, he wanted to hear her scream his name in ecstasy instead of anger.

There were just a few problems with that idea.

First off he was pretty sure that she would rather slit her own wrists and bleed to death than admit that she wanted him, let alone touch him with a ten foot pole. But most importantly, he never let a woman live when he was done with her. He seduced them and gave them a night to remember, only for him to snuff the life out of them when they were done. 

With this woman, he couldn't afford to do that. Loathe as he was to admit it, he needed her to help him find the dragonballs with that radar of hers. He didn’t put it past her to try and mess with it somehow so that he couldn’t work it without her. Plus he was positive she had her own motives for coming with him to Namek, like stealing the dragonballs from him so she could wish her friends back, so he had to make sure he kept his guard up with her. As much as he wanted to bed her, he needed to find the dragonballs more, so he’d have to shove the idea aside for the time being.

_ “Thirty seconds to impact on Planet Namek.” _

Vegeta’s thoughts were interrupted when the ship announced their impending arrival. 

_ 'By now, Frieza's probably collected a good number of the dragonballs. I just need to find one of them and keep it out of sight. After that, I'll need to find a way to get the others out of his clutches.' _

A moment later, they landed on the surface of Namek. Vegeta reached out to open the door.

"Wait!" Bulma said, panicked at his reckless move.

"What is it, woman?" He asked in a bored voice.

"You can't just open the door like that! We don't even know the oxygen content on the planet. We don't even know if there's oxygen at all! We could die as soon as we open the door!"

The Prince rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Don't be ridiculous. Nothing's going to happen to us."

Bulma still wasn't convinced. "How do you know? You didn't check when we left. For all I know, you can survive on this planet and I can't so-"

"Computer, run a background check on our current location."

_ "Planet Namek. Oxygen level is at eighty five percent, Water vapour is ten percent, Nitrogen is at five percent. The terrain is hospitable and the inhabitants are amiable." _

Vegeta gave her a look that said “Are you happy now?” and opened the door, allowing the unlikely duo to get out of the cramped space and take in the scenery.

"This is Namek?" Bulma asked, disappointment laced in her tone. It certainly wasn't what she was expecting. The land stretched on forever, which would’ve been pretty if it didn’t look so...barren.

Vegeta looked around at the empty lands that seemed to go on for miles. “Fitting that something as powerful as the dragonballs would be on a planet as desolate as this one. It’s so dead that no one would even suspect that it harboured something so valuable unless you actually knew they were here.” 

He had a point, she’d give him that much. Deciding that they’d wasted enough time gazing at the scenery, the heiress threw the capsule with her backpack on the ground and got the radar out.

“Let’s see what we’ve got here.” She pressed the button to turn it on and waited for it to give her the location of the nearest dragonball. Hopefully the first one wouldn’t be too far away and-

“What the…?” Bulma whispered under her breath. That couldn’t be right...

“What is it?” She jumped when he spoke, not realising he was standing so close to her.

Bulma shook her head at the reading on the screen. “It’s showing me that there’s four dragonballs gathered in one area. In that direction.” She pointed roughly west of their current location.

Before she could blink, the radar was out of her grasp.

“Hey!” She turned to Vegeta, irritation evident on her face.

He ignored her and focused on the screen, watching as four yellow dots blinked in one spot. This could only be the work of one person.

“Frieza.” He growled under his breath.

At the name, the anger she felt at him for his childish move vanished and dread took its place. “Did...did you just say Frieza? What about him?”

“He’s the one who’s gathered the dragonballs. And I'm willing to bet he didn’t get them by asking nicely.”

_ ‘Oh Kami.’  _ Bulma paled at his words.  _ ‘All those innocent people, slaughtered by that monster.’ _

“So now what’s your plan?” She asked in a soft voice, trying hard to quell the anxiety that was slowly building. Now she had more than just Vegeta to worry about so that she could get her wish. It was just her luck.

“Well, ideally I would simply take them from him but doing so at my current strength is basically suicide. “ He scowled as he said this, clearly displeased at his weakness. “For now, the best course of action would be to find a dragonball and hide it from him. That way, he won’t get his wish as soon as he expected and it’ll give me more time to come up with a way to swipe the others from under his nose.”

Suddenly, Vegeta’s head snapped up towards the sky, focusing on a particular spot.

“What? What are you looking at?” Bulma asked looking into the sky, trying to see what he’s seeing. She looked back at him and was slightly concerned to see a dark grin forming on his face.

“Woman, I suggest you find a place to hide.”

“Why do I need to hide?” 

The Prince looked over at her, his sinister smile never leaving his face. “Because I’m about to do away with that pitiful excuse of a warrior who decided to follow us and I really don’t think you want to be around to see that.”

Bulma shivered at the underlying violence in his voice, suddenly feeling very happy that she was not the warrior he was talking about. Not needing to be told twice, she spotted a boulder and dashed behind it, making sure she was out of sight.

Vegeta watched Cui’s ship break into the planet’s atmosphere and turned on his scouter, waiting for his adversary to make the first move.

_ “Vegeta. Where are you? Come out, come out wherever you are.”  _ He heard Cui taunt in a singsong voice over the scouter. Vegeta crossed his arms but said nothing.

_ “Ahh. There you are. Now it’s time for us to have a little fun.” _

“I’m right here and waiting for you Cui. While I do commend you for your bravery, I’m afraid it isn’t going to be enough to save you from my wrath.” He snickered, feeling himself get excited at the prospect of destroying the fish faced fool.

_ “Take a peek at your scouter Vegeta. My power level clearly dwarfs your own. Really, somebody ought to teach you to respect your superiors.”  _

Not a second later, Vegeta jumped into the air, dodging Cui’s surprise attack. He looked down and saw his opponent standing with his arm extended into the space where he was standing just a moment ago. 

He landed behind Cui, his face a picture of smug satisfaction. “Oh and who’s going to teach me about respect? You? Don’t make me laugh.”

“Oh but of course it’s going to be me. My power level is far above yours which means our battle won’t last longer than five minutes. But...I still intend to have fun with you before I destroy you.” 

Cui chuckled, arms akimbo. “Speaking of fun, where’s that snivelling girl of yours? Don’t tell me you did away with her already.” At Vegeta’s indifferent shrug, he shook his head in mock disappointment. 

“Such a shame. I’m sure Frieza would’ve  _ loved  _ to meet the woman you took without his permission. Fortunately, I personally take it upon myself to deal with you accordingly so Lord Frieza doesn’t have to sully his hands with your blood.”

Vegeta scoffed at those words. “Like I give a damn what you or Frieza thinks. I do what I damn well please. And right now, nothing would please me more than seeing you beg for your miserable life, fish face.” 

He snickered, slowly starting to raise his power level. “You see Cui, while you’ve been at your Master’s beck and call, I’ve been getting stronger and stronger. My recent trip to Earth was very rewarding since I managed to learn a few new techniques.”

“Oh yeah and what’s that? Running away?”

“I’ve learned to hide my power level!” Vegeta yelled, unleashing his hidden power.

Cui stood back, appalled at what he was seeing. According to his scouter Vegeta was stronger than him by a little under half! That was impossible! He could barely reach eighteen thousand when he last checked!

“No. It...it can’t be.” He whispered, dread beginning to course through his being.

“Are you really so shocked, Cui? This is what happens when you allow yourself to grow soft while working for Frieza while I continue to break through my limits!” Vegeta laughed at the shock on his adversaries face. “You should be honoured, since you’ll be the first one to get a taste of my true power!”

On the sidelines, Bulma watched as that ugly bastard’s scouter broke while trying to measure Vegeta’s power level. With the way he was quaking in fear, she had a feeling he knew that he stood no chance against the monarch.

Cui knew that he was in deep trouble now. He needed to find a way to kill Vegeta and fast!

“Oh look! It’s Lord Frieza!” Cui pointed behind Vegeta.

“What?! Where?!” Vegeta whipped his head back.

Barely a second later, Cui fired his most powerful attack, firing at the spot where Vegeta was standing in rapid succession. He relented after a minute, gasping for air. He began to laugh hysterically, thinking he had managed to destroy his Saiyan opponent.

“You poor fool. You really thought you managed to defeat me with that pathetic attack.”

Cui’s laughter instantly died when he heard that mocking tone. He slowly turned and jumped back when he saw Vegeta standing behind him, his lips turned up in a malicious grin.

“That was a neat trick Cui. Now it’s my turn.” Vegeta walked forward, his grin still in place.

“Wait! Hold on Vegeta! I have a suggestion. Why don’t you and I join forces and go against Frieza?” Cui bargained, fighting in vain to keep the desperation out of his voice.

“Join forces, eh?”

“Yes of course! I mean, it only makes sense. Frieza has been in control for too long and he needs to be stopped. I really believe that if we work together, you and I will be able to bring him down!”

Vegeta stayed silent, his expression betraying nothing.

_ ‘He can’t seriously be considering this moron’s offer can he?!’  _ Bulma silently wondered, her eyes not moving from the scene in front of her.

She should’ve remembered that with Vegeta, nothing was what it seemed.

“That is an interesting proposition you make, Cui.” He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling at Cui’s form slumped in premature relief. “There’s just one problem with it.”

“What is-” He never got a chance to finish his sentence. Faster than he could follow, Vegeta phased right in front of him, grabbed the back of his neck and ran his fist through his abdomen. Cui gurgled in pain, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Vegeta leaned in closer, making sure his eyes were locked with his dying foe’s. “That you thought I would be ignorant enough to believe the desperate words of a two faced leech like you.” 

He shoved his fist in deeper, feeling his body sing with bloodlust at his enemies cries of pain. “I’ll defeat Frieza by myself. Don’t worry though, he’ll be joining you in hell soon enough.”

At the sight of his malevolent smirk, it was then that Cui, in his dying moments, understood why Vegeta was known as the Prince of Darkness.

“See you in hell!” Vegeta charged a powerful ki attack in his buried hand and fired, Cui’s screams echoing through the wastelands.

Bulma slid down the boulder and fell onto her bottom, her heart racing at the callous display of violence. 

_ ‘There’s no denying that guy was a creep, no doubt about it. I knew Vegeta was going to kill him but...I really wasn’t expecting him to die like that.’ _

Throughout their whole fight, the heiress had seen the mischievous glint in Vegeta’s eyes. He knew that he was superior to his opponent by a long shot and yet he took his time, gaining sadistic pleasure in toying with his weaker adversary. He’d reminded her of a predator playing with its prey before it makes the kill.

_ ‘Sleek, graceful and deadly. Just like a wild cat on the hunt.’ _

“Bulma!”

_ What was that? _

She looked around the area, not seeing anything.

_ ‘I could’ve sworn I heard someone say my name. But how can that be? Everyone’s back on Earth.’ _

“What are you looking at so intently?”

Bulma looked up to see Vegeta looming over her, his arms crossed. “Nothing. I just...I could’ve sworn I heard someone say my name just now. Like a really loud whisper.”

He raised an eyebrow and did a scan of the land, not seeing anything suspicious. “This planet’s atmosphere has clearly affected you negatively, woman. There’s no one around here except us.”

The heiress glared at him heatedly. “Haha. Very funny.” 

She stood up and dusted herself off. “So, what now?”

“Now, we go and get ourselves a dragonball.” Vegeta indicated to her for the radar and she pulled it out, switching it on. 

“Hmm”, she hummed while studying the radar, “Oh, here we go! We can go and get this one. It’s about five miles east of here.”

“Excellent. Then let’s-”

“Hold on! I have a suggestion.”

“What is it?” He bit out, not wanting to waste any more time.

Bulma pursed her lips, not appreciating his snippy tone. “Why don’t we set up camp first before finding the dragonball? We can find a cave somewhere in this place and I’ll set up a capsule house as our makeshift base. Just so we have somewhere to go on the off chance that Frieza or one of his pals finds us.”

The Prince went silent, thinking over her proposal. It had merit to it. Having a safe place to keep the dragonball sounded much more appealing than stashing it somewhere random for anyone to find.

“I suppose that wouldn’t be the worst idea.” He looked at her, a smirk forming on his lips. “I knew you’d be useful for something eventually instead of being dead weight. Good job, woman.”

Vegeta’s smirk widened when he saw Bulma’s face flush with anger.  _ Three, two, one… _

“Dead weight?! Oh you little creep! How dare you insinuate that I’m nothing but a carry on! Why I ought to-” Bulma screeched when Vegeta hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her into him.

“As much as I’d like to hear the end of that little threat, there are more important matters to attend to. Thanks to my little stunt when killing Cui, I pretty much let Frieza know that I’m here. That means I need to use as little of my energy as possible while trying to find our hideout.”

“Meaning?” She asked, trying to ignore her reaction to their close proximity.

“I’m going to fly without an added boost until I find what we’re looking for. Hopefully it won’t take too long.”

“And you need to hold me like this in order to fly in that manner?”

“Would you prefer it if I threw you over my shoulder like a  _ carry on _ ?” She said nothing, merely scorching him with her fiery gaze. “That’s what I thought.” His face was a perfect example of arrogant satisfaction.

Bulma reluctantly looped her arms around his neck. “Pretentious ass.” She muttered under her breath. 

“I heard that.”

Vegeta floated into the sky and flew off.

* * *

_ Back on Earth… _

Chichi opened the door to Goku’s room and found him shadow punching an invisible enemy from his bed.

“Goku, try and take it easy. You don’t want to hurt yourself more than you already have.” She scolded lightly.

The young Saiyan sighed. “I know Chi. It’s just, I have a lot of restless energy that I’m trying to work out. Ever since Gohan and Krillin left for Namek, I’ve been feeling anxious.”

Over a month ago, after Vegeta had kidnapped Bulma, Master Roshi had gone back to the airbus they’d come in and called Dr Briefs, asking him to come and get them. When the good doctor asked why Bulma didn’t bring them back, Roshi told him he’d rather relay the news in person, prompting Dr Briefs to make his way to the wasteland.

When he arrived, the gang had already loaded Goku into the airbus on a stretcher. Dr Briefs mentioned that he hadn’t told his wife where he was going, not wanting to scare her. As he flew them to the hospital, Roshi told him about what had happened to Bulma and why she wasn’t with them.

After hearing what happened to Bulma and the rest of the gang, he became understandably distraught. Goku had felt horrible, telling the doctor that he had tried to stop Vegeta, only for the doctor to wave off his concern, telling him he didn’t blame the young warrior. He blamed the monster that took his daughter from him. Afterwards they had tried to brainstorm different ideas to rescue her, none of them showing any promise, until a certain deity had made himself known.

King Kai had told Goku, who relayed it to everyone else, that Bulma and Vegeta were on their way to planet Namek and that if they could find or build a ship, they could get her back. Dr Briefs had come alive again with hope until he’d heard the coordinates of the planet.

_ 9045XY. _

He’d explained to the group that it would take centuries, heck millenia, for them to reach Namek since their technology just wasn’t advanced enough to travel that far in a short amount of time. Just as he had begun to lose hope, Goku had suddenly remembered that he’d arrived on the planet in a ship that could travel at those speeds and cover long distances.

As soon as Goku told him the information, Dr Briefs had contacted Capsule Corp and assigned five of his best employees to find the ship located around Mount Paozu. Once they’d arrived at the hospital, Goku, Gohan and Krillin were admitted and treated for their injuries, with Dr Briefs promising to return the following day.

True to his word, the good doctor had returned and explained that overnight, they had found Goku’s ship, only that it had been destroyed. But they had salvaged whatever parts they could find and took them to their labs for further analysis. The only problem was Dr Briefs didn’t know how long it would take for the results to return, nevermind if it was possible to rebuild the ship.

Almost like he’d known that they were in need of assistance, Mr Popo had made himself known from his floating carpet outside the hospital room. He’d come to tell them that Kami had told him about a ship he had come to Earth in a long time ago and that he could take one of them to see if it still works. It was, of course, a no brainer that the good doctor went to investigate.

A little while later, Dr Briefs had returned with an excited glint in his eyes. The ship Kami used was fully functioning and travelled at dazzling speeds. He’d informed the group that it just needed a few repairs and for someone to learn the Namekian language and they would be set to leave in no time.

After much arguing between Chichi and her son, it was decided that Krillin and Gohan would make the first trip to Namek with Kami’s ship and Goku would follow as soon as his ship was ready and when he was fully healed.

It’s been a month and ten days since that announcement, a month since Krillin and his son left the planet and Goku was no closer to leaving the planet himself. To say he was frustrated was an understatement.

Chichi ran her fingers through his unruly hair, trying to get him to relax. “I know you’re worried about Gohan. I’m worried about him too. But we both know you can’t do anything while you’re still injured.”

Goku wrapped his good arm around her waist, hugging her close to him. “You’re right. I don’t like it, but you’re right. All I can do is wait.”

Their peaceful moment was interrupted when Yajirobe came in, the doctor following close behind him.

“Oh, hey Yajirobe. What’s up?” Goku asked.

“Special delivery from Korin. The senzu beans are ready.”

The young Saiyan’s eyes widened, feeling his heart race with excitement. “Alright! Thanks Yajirobe, you’re a lifesaver!”

Ignoring the doctor’s protests, the samurai flung a bean in Goku’s direction, who caught it in his mouth. A moment later, he was out of bed and out of his bandages, feeling good as new! He dressed in his gi and stretched, elated that he could finally be out of that horrible hospital and their needles!

“Awesome! I feel amazing! But now, it’s time for me to head out!” 

Goku walked over to his wife, his smile dropping slightly when he caught the disappointed look in her eyes. 

“Hey”, he softly gripped her upper arms, “Don’t worry Chichi. I’ll take care of our son as soon as I get to Namek. Okay?”

“Yes but...he’s not the only one I’m worried about.” She said softly. “Goku, you just got wished back. I’m scared that I’ll lose you again.”

He cupped her face and looked into her dark eyes. “Listen Chi. I’m not planning on dying again. Once we rescue Bulma and wish the others back to life, Gohan and I will be back on Earth before you know it. Then we can live our lives as a family again. Okay?”

She nodded, a soft smile on her face. 

Goku leaned down and kissed her, sealing his promise to her. He pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers, breathing in her scent. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She whispered.

He pulled away and walked to the window, senzu beans in his possession. “Flying Nimbus!”

As soon as the yellow cloud came into view, he jumped out of the window, much to the distress of the other residents. Goku landed steadily on the cloud and flew off. “See you later guys!”

He performed twists and turns in the sky, enjoying the feel of the wind against his face. “Man, it’s so good to be out in the open again! I almost forgot what this feels like!”

He played around a bit more until his expression slowly became stony with determination. “Alright! I need to get serious. Bulma, Krillin and Gohan are counting on me. I can’t let them down!”

A moment later, he steadied himself out, flying full speed towards Capsule Corp. There was no time to waste!

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one bites the dust! Our unlikely couple have officially begun their mission to gather the dragonballs and it seems like they’ve got company! Both friendly and...not so friendly. We also have Goku and Chichi making themselves known here! Whoop whoop!
> 
> To be honest, I was kinda stuck writing this one but eventually I came up with this! I hope you guys liked it! As always, thank you to Grescia for your review on the last chapter! I really appreciate it!
> 
> Honestly, at this point, 2020 is just a movie. I hope everyone’s safe and healthy during these trying times. Please don’t forget to review! Peace, love and good vibes to you all🎆✨. Until next time!
> 
> RR18❤🌹


	6. Brought To Light

Zarbon flinched, his golden eyes widening slightly when his scouter shorted out and fell apart. 

“Zarbon. What happened?” asked Dodoria.

“I don’t know. It must be some sort of malfunction. For a second there, it registered Vegeta’s power level at twenty two thousand and then shorted out.” he replied.

Dodoria hummed in thought before checking for himself on his own scouter. A moment later, his eyes bulged in shock. 

Zarbon looked at his comrade expectantly. “The number?” 

“It doesn’t make any sense”, the pink warrior stuttered out. “The stupid thing can’t be right. Now it’s reading twenty four thousand!”

"What?! Twenty four thousand?! Are you sure? Because that would mean he's as strong as us, if not more."

Dodoria shook his head, refusing to believe what he was seeing. "No. The stupid thing must be broken. That can't be right!"

"It's accurate." A syrupy voice cut in on their talk, his tail swaying leisurely from his throne.

"Don't forget that Vegeta has spent a lot of his time fighting in the front lines. It makes sense that his power level has risen."

"Lord Frieza…" Zarbon muttered, unease visible on his handsome face.

"Besides, his strength is nothing to worry about since it's nowhere near as powerful as my own." Frieza said, snickering at the truth of his words.

The two soldiers looked at each other and reluctantly let go of the matter, only slightly placated by their emperors words. However, their nervousness returned when Dodoria announced that Cui had been killed.

"He...killed Cui?" Zarbon asked slowly, his unease returning to him.

Dodoria nodded, "Wiped him out like he was nothing."

"Does it really matter that he killed Cui? Honestly I've been meaning to kill that laughable excuse of a warrior for a while now so at least Vegeta did me that small favour." Frieza said in a bored tone. 

"In any case, he's not our main concern right now. Our focus should be on collecting all the dragon balls so I can make my wish."

Zarbon perked up as something he heard from the scouter came back to him. "Lord Frieza, I just remembered that Cui had mentioned something about Vegeta bringing a woman to the planet with him. It seems that she's dead now but I still find it odd that he would do that in the first place."

"If she's dead then that tidbit of information is useless to me. If she were alive it would be a different story, since it would mean Vegeta had been dumb enough to form attachments."

Frieza grinned darkly when he saw one of his underlings come back with another dragonball. "That makes four in our collection. This hunt is going exceptionally well. Dodoria, find the location of the next village."

_'Just a few more balls and I'll be able to make my wish for immortality.'_ Frieza thought to himself, his red eyes sparkling with malicious excitement. 

_'I can hardly wait.'_

* * *

The wind blew softly around them as they flew in the air, the gentle breeze doing wonders to cool them off from the intense heat from the three suns of the planet.

Bulma had her eyes closed, just enjoying the breeze. She and Vegeta had been flying for a while now, looking for a place that would be suitable as a camp but also be inconspicuous. The silence between them was comfortable for the first time. He was going at an easy pace so the wind wasn't stifling. It was...nice.

_'Who would've thought that I would ever think of any situation where Vegeta is involved as_ **_nice_ ** _?'_ Bulma wondered silently. She wasn't really complaining though. She preferred this to watching him kill someone again.

"I believe I may have found somewhere suitable for our base." Bulma looked up when he said that, seeing his eyes focused on a particular spot. She followed his gaze and saw a cave opening sitting at an odd angle of a large rock, not easily seen unless you're really looking for it.

He lowered them in front of it and they walked in to inspect it. Bulma looked around, taking in the height of the cave and how far it goes. 

"I think this will do just fine." Bulma nodded at her observation, happy with what they found. Behind her, she heard Vegeta grunt but he said nothing after that. Immediately, she set up a capsule house and walked in, turning on the lights.

She stood in the middle of the dwelling and spread her arms. "So what do you think?"

Vegeta looked around, taking in the small yet fully stocked abode. He was mildly impressed that all of this was contained in a tiny capsule. 

After looking around a bit more, he nodded his approval. "It will suffice for the time being."

Bulma answered with a nod of her own. "Great. Make yourself comfortable, familiarize yourself with the rooms. I'll get us some food and we can eat before going for the first ball."

Vegeta opened his mouth to argue when his stomach let out a loud growl. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance, the tips of his ears going red.

The heiress bit the inside of her cheek to keep from giggling at the look on his face. Call it a hunch but she thought he wouldn't really appreciate that too much. "Like I said, make yourself comfortable. We haven't eaten since leaving Earth. Don't worry, it won't take too long." 

She watched him, his body practically vibrating with indecision. In the end, he gave in, reluctantly nodding his agreement. 

Bulma got out the ready made meals from the fridge, laughing silently at Vegeta's behaviour.

_'It seems it doesn’t matter who it is. No matter how much they want something, the moment you mention food to a Saiyan, it's all over.'_

A while later, the unlikely couple was seated by the island, eating their meals in silence. Well, Bulma had her one and Vegeta had his multiple meals. 

_'I didn't have enough to properly fill him up but those should suffice for now.'_ Bulma mused to herself.

She looked at her captor, watching the way he ate vigorously yet still maintained a smidgeon of grace. In other words, unlike Goku, his food didn't end up all over his face.

"What is it?" Bulma snapped to attention, realizing too late that he'd stopped moving and was looking at her expectantly.

"Pardon?"

"You were staring. It was starting to irritate me." He answered.

_Should she ask?_

Well, she's been dying to get more information on the man who kidnapped her for a while now, but the moment never came. Maybe now was her chance.

"Can I ask you something?" 

He shrugged, silently telling her to continue.

"Can you tell me about the Saiyans? You know, like their way of life, how they worked, what they were known for. Stuff like that." 

The Prince raised an eyebrow. Out of all the things he expected her to ask, that certainly wasn't one of them. He looked at her intently, trying to see any deception in her person.

_'But what deception could she plan with a question like that?'_ He thought, taking in her sincere gaze.

Making his decision, he crossed his arms, seeing no harm in indulging his little captive. "The Saiyans were the most powerful warrior race in the universe. They were known for their brute strength and battle prowess. We were fearless, taking on every challenge and pushing ourselves to the edge of our limits. Those were just some of the points that labelled us as the most feared race in the universe.”

“And that’s where Frieza comes in.” Bulma mused.

“Of course. He’d formed an alliance with my father that our people would work for him and provide us with immense wealth in exchange. Of course that ‘alliance’ was just a way to control us and keep us in line.”

“Keep you in line? But why would he need to do that if he was as powerful as he was?”

“It’s quite simple. He was afraid of us, afraid of what we could do as a race. When I say we were the most powerful race alive, it wasn’t an exaggeration. As a collective, there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do, there wasn’t a job we couldn’t complete. Frieza knew this and it was because of that fact that he fought to keep us under his control.

At the time though, the Saiyans knew they couldn’t do anything to go against the tyrant since they weren’t strong enough to overthrow him but they believed that they would be able to do it someday. Only that day would never come since, not long after, the planet was destroyed by a meteor. Or so says the story they expect me to believe.”

Bulma furrowed her eyebrows at that last statement. “Expect you to believe? Are you trying to say that story that says your planet was destroyed by a meteor wasn’t true?”

“Of course it’s not true.”

“But the doctor from planet Frieza said-”

“Malaka only knows what he was told and even then he doesn’t really believe it”, Vegeta sneered in disgust, “I know for a fact that it wasn’t a meteor that destroyed the planet. It was Frieza. He did it without breaking a sweat.”

Bulma’s face paled at that, her heart beating faster with dread. “But how is it possible for someone to destroy a whole planet? That’s just unimaginable.”

“To _you_ , it may seem unimaginable. I just know better. I’ve bared witness to the destruction of countless planets by Frieza’s own hand, watching as a planet was destroyed with just the tip of his finger. It really doesn’t take much, I’ve done it myself plenty of times.” Bulma shivered, those words a heavy reminder of just who she was sitting across and what he was capable of. 

“Yet for some reason, he expects us to believe that a giant rock destroyed the planet, a rock they would have dealt with easily? He may have been able to fool my subordinates, but he’s never managed to fool me.”

The heiress fell silent, letting herself process all she’s heard. It just seemed so unfathomable that one being could be able to destroy a planet so easily, as if it was just a mundane job. Her mind went back to something Malaka said about Frieza.

_‘He’s personally responsible for the slaughter of billions across the galaxies, destroying planets at a whim, pillaging them of their resources.’_

At the time, when he said that Frieza destroyed planets at a whim, she thought he meant that Frieza wiped out the entire population of a planet before leaving it in ruins. Turns out that he actually destroyed planets, turning them into space dust.

_‘And we’re currently on the same planet as this monster.’_ Bulma thought, her body beginning to shudder with fear. Just who in the world were they dealing with?! And how did Vegeta expect to defeat him?!

Bulma's eyes snapped up as she thought of something else. “Hold on a second. So when the planet was destroyed, you, Goku and your two other partners were obviously not destroyed along with it.”

He nodded. “We were off planet at the time.”

“Okay so then if Goku was on his way to Earth, where were you when it happened?”

It was almost as if she’d flipped a switch because one moment they were conversing amiably and then, as soon as she asked that question, she watched as his face took on a blank, stony expression, effectively shutting himself off from her.

He slid off of his chair, taking the radar from the table. “No more questions. We’ve wasted enough time when we could’ve already found a dragon ball. It’s time to go.” Vegeta said, his tone giving away none of his feelings.

“But Vegeta-”

“Now woman. Otherwise I’ll leave you here.” He said, his expression unchanged but his eyes cold with anger. Without waiting, he turned and walked towards the door. With a heavy sigh, Bulma followed him out the door. Once they were outside, he pulled her to his side and flew in the direction of the nearest dragon ball. While they were in the air, Bulma went over the last few minutes.

_‘Damnit. Of all the things I could’ve asked, why did I go and ask that particular question. I mean, it’s not like I knew he was going to react like that but still. He was just a little boy when it happened, I should’ve realised it would still be a sensitive issue.’_ She lightly scolded.

For a moment, she and Vegeta had had an actual conversation. Strange as it was, the moment had been comfortable between them. Even though he still knew how to get on her nerves, over time, she’d kind of stopped fearing him.

_‘And just when had that happened? When did I stop being afraid of him? Stop hating him?’_ Bulma mused, trying to sort out her feelings.

_‘It must have been when I started hearing the stories about him and Frieza. They helped me get a closer look at who Vegeta really is and why he does what he does. That’s not to say I approve of his actions at all but...I understand him a little better now.’_

She didn’t know what to make of it, all she knew was that she didn’t hate Vegeta, not anymore.

_‘I still have an obligation to the others to bring them back and I intend to see it through to the end. It just won’t be as easy now that I know what I do about him.’_ Bulma rolled her eyes at her train of thought. _‘My stupid conscience is going to get me into real trouble one of these days.’_

She wasn’t the only one who was lost in their thoughts.

Vegeta was thinking over his conversation with the woman. _‘Just where did she get the nerve to ask me questions that were none of her business in the first place?! She had no right!’_

In the beginning he’d been about to dismiss her silly questions...until he saw the innocent curiosity in her gaze. Something he hadn’t seen in a very long time. For that reason, he’d answered anything she threw at him.

The Prince had told her what she wanted to know, slightly fascinated by the genuine interest in her gaze as he spoke about his formerly powerful race. However, what really caught his attention was her scent. It was untainted by fear, only unlike last time, she was conscious so it seemed like she truly didn’t fear him. The purity of it was alluring, taking his thoughts in a completely different direction to their conversation.

But as soon as she’d asked her final question, he drew the line. That was one that she had no business asking him about. The only thing was, her scent still lacked that distinct touch of her fear that he’d become familiar with. In fact, she actually looked remorseful of her word choice. It aggravated him to no end! He was starting to think that she was going to be more trouble than she’s worth.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a familiar energy. He smirked evilly when he recognised who it was. 

_‘What are you doing separated from your master Dodoria?’_

Vegeta immediately changed course, honing in on his unsuspecting prey.

“Hey, why’d you turn around?” Bulma asked.

He looked down at her, his smirk still in place. “I’m just going to take care of...an old friend before we carry on with our search.”

Bulma felt a little unnerved by that look in his eye. _‘Whoever this old friend is, they really don't know what’s coming their way.’_

“Stay here and wait for my return.” Vegeta dropped her off behind a large boulder and flew to where Dodoria was nearby. Once he spotted the pink warrior, he shot straight down and attacked, flinging him into the water below.

Dodoria surfaced, coughing up water, and pulled up onto the land.

“Why hello Dodoria. Fancy meeting you here.”

He looked up to see Vegeta standing before him, arms akimbo and his infuriating smirk on his face.

“Vegeta. I should have known. Shooting people in the back was always your style.” He sneered at his foe.

“Careful now. We’re all alone. Frieza and Zarbon aren’t here to back you up so I’d watch my words if I were you.” Vegeta replied, his smirk never leaving his face. “Then again, I suppose it doesn’t matter. I’m still going to kill you anyway.”

Dodoria fought to keep his composure, feeling trepidation begin to go through him. He still remembered what Vegeta did to Cui, how powerful he’s become. “Listen up Vegeta. Before I beat you into a bloody pulp, I’m going to give you one chance to get out of this. Here’s the deal: If you hand over your scouter and leave this planet right now, I **might** be willing to overlook your foolish arrogance this time.”

Vegeta looked at his foe, amused at the false bravado he was trying so hard to maintain. It was almost too sad to watch. He scoffed and removed his scouter.

“Here. You can have it.” He dropped it on the ground, his gaze never leaving Dodoria’s.

Dodoria stepped forward, a smug smile on his face. “I knew you were good for something Vegeta. It’s a good thing you can recognise your superiors when the time calls for it.”

The Prince chuckled darkly. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?”

Dodoria could only watch in shock as Vegeta stepped on the scouter, destroying it. “You fool! What have you done?! That was the last scouter on the planet! Now you’re just as blind as I am!”

“See, now that’s where you’re wrong Dodoria. Thanks to a new trick I learned during my time on Earth, I don’t need the scouter to find my way around. I can simply lock on to a person’s ki and find them like that. It’s a really handy trick and nullifies the crutch of relying on a machine to find your way. ”

Dodoria growled in indignation and pointed at him accusingly. “That’s it! Now I understand! You came here with those other two Earthlings, didn’t you?!”

Vegeta’s eyes widened in surprise. “What are you talking about?!”

“Don’t play dumb! You’ve exposed yourself! This is your final warning! Just give it up and you can walk away in one piece!”

Vegeta shook off his surprise and locked eyes with his opponent. “Consider your final warning ignored. So come at me, you chewing gum reject.”

Dodoria didn’t waste any time, firing consecutive ki blasts at Vegeta, the force of them shaking the earth. He went on and on until he couldn’t see anything in front of him. He stopped a moment later, panting from the exertion of his attacks.

“Looking for someone?”

Before he could react, Vegeta grabbed Dodoria’s arms and pulled back, almost pulling his shoulders out of its sockets. He grinned vindictively, committing his foes cries to memory. “Any last words before I send you to hell?!”

“Let me go Vegeta!”

He laughed cruelly. “And just why would I do that?” 

“Because I’ll...I’ll tell you what happened to your home planet if you do!”

_What?_

“What did you just say?” 

“I’ll tell you the truth about your home planet! But only if you promise to let me go!” Dodoria spoke, panic present in his tone.

Silence. 

After a moment or two passed, Vegeta let his arms go. Dodoria immediately turned to face him, feeling a smirk come onto his lips.

“You better make this worthwhile Dodoria.” Vegeta said in a deceptively soft tone.

He stretched out his sore muscles. “Oh I will. Don’t you worry.”

“Hey, what's the deal? They’re just standing there and talking.” Bulma observed from her spot. She’d been watching the fight (more like trouncing) from where Vegeta left her. Now they were just standing, looking at each other. She risked getting closer, wanting to hear what was being said.

“You’ve heard that planet Vegeta was destroyed by a meteor all those years ago? Well, it turns out that that wasn’t the case at all. Frieza was the one who destroyed your planet. He’d felt that you’d all gotten out of control and decided to put an end to your race to restore order in the universe.”

_‘So he was right in his guess. Frieza was responsible for his planet's destruction, only now he’s heard it directly from the horse’s mouth.’_ Bulma thought to herself.

“And that’s not all.” Dodoria smiled evilly, “Your father and his royal guard had attempted to rescue you from the bowels of Frieza’s ship the day the planet was destroyed. You should have seen him, he was so determined to get you back. Only his noble effort would prove to be useless since Frieza killed him in less than thirty seconds, along with his soldiers.”

_Holy shit!_

Bulma’s eyes widened, tears starting to fill them. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Could it really be true?!

Dodoria ‘tsked’ in mock sadness. “It’s a shame really. All of those threats Frieza made to kill your father to keep you in line had all been for nothing. All those beatings, all the torture, all of it...for nothing. Honestly, if it wasn’t for you being Lord Frieza’s favourite pet, you would’ve died a long time ago.”

The heiress felt her heart break into small pieces. She slid down and fell on her backside, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

_‘How? How could anyone do that to a small boy? How fucked in the head do you have to be to do that to a living being and still be able to sleep at night?!’_

She was fighting to process all that she’d heard. How could any-

Wait a second…

**_Flashback_ **

_“He’s defied Frieza multiple times, yet he’s the only one who survives.” Malaka said, reading the shock on the woman’s face. “He’s Frieza’s personal favourite, the only one allowed to defy him in that manner. However, his deeds never went unpunished.”_

_‘The scars on his back.’ Bulma thought to herself. He must have gotten those when he went against Frieza._

_“What do you mean he’s Frieza’s favourite? You mean like his favourite soldier?”_

_The good doctor hesitated for a second. “Something along those lines.”_

**_End Flashback_ **

That’s what Malaka didn’t want to tell her. Vegeta wasn’t Frieza’s favourite soldier, he was his favourite whipping boy! Frieza had lied to Vegeta for years, beaten and tortured him all for his own sick amusement!

Bulma felt a dark emotion blooming in her heart, growing in intensity the more she thought about what she’d discovered. She’d always been afraid of Frieza from the moment she heard about him. But now she felt something else other than fear for the tyrant.

Pure, unadulterated hate.

She hated him for the hold he had on countless beings in the universe with his tyrannical rule, she hated him for the innumerable lives he’s taken away and ruined for his own benefit. Most of all, she hated him for what he did to Vegeta, for ripping the life of the boy prince away from him before it had even had a chance to begin.

“Well, there you have it Vegeta. The whole truth just as I promised.” Dodoria said, a mock-friendly smile on his face.

Vegeta remained silent, his face in an unreadable expression but his onyx eyes were filled with a rage so cold, Bulma felt herself shiver as if she could actually feel the chill he gave off.

Dodoria floated upwards, looking down on the silent monarch. “I’ve kept my end of the bargain, Vegeta. Now, if you don't mind, I’ll be taking my leave now.” 

“Actually, I do mind Dodoria. You see, I promised to let you go so you could tell me the truth about my planet, which I did”, Vegeta readied a powerful ki blast, grinning malevolently at his cowering foe, “I never promised to let you live as soon as you were done.” 

“Master Frieza!” Dodoria cried, flying away as fast as he could manage.

“See you in hell you bastard!” Vegeta fired his attack, the blast easily catching up to his fleeing opponent. Dodoria’s scream echoed in the air around them as he was blown to pieces, all traces of him vanishing in the blinding light.

Bulma ducked for cover as dust and debris flew all around her, that ugly toad’s yell the final disturbance in the air before everything became still again. She looked up from her place and saw Vegeta standing with his back to her, his arm still extended towards the sky.

_‘I gotta move while he’s still distracted.’_

As silently as she could, the heiress went back to her original hiding spot. _‘If he found me where I was just now, he’d know instantly that I heard everything. With the way his emotions are probably running high right now, I’m certain he wouldn’t hesitate to kill me on the spot.’_

Once she got back, she sat and leaned back against the rock with her eyes closed. _‘Man, of all the things I expected to hear, the story with Vegeta’s father really wasn’t one of them.’_

Bulma couldn’t even begin to imagine what that must feel like. Not knowing that your father had attempted to save you from your captor, being led on for years with the same lie over and over again.

_‘And yet he still defied his captor, showing him that no matter how much he put him down, he’d always get back up again.’_

She knew that Vegeta despised things like pity or sympathy and while she did feel bad for him, that wasn’t what she was truly feeling. At that moment, Bulma felt admiration towards him. She admired him for his bravery to stand up against Frieza. She admired him for the strength that he had to always fight to see another day.

_‘If only things had been different, he could have been a vital part of the team. But maybe...maybe I can try and be the friend that he’d never admit to wanting but that he silently needs. I might be going in way over my head...but I think it’s worth a shot.’_

“Woman.” She jumped at the sudden closeness of his voice, looking up to see him standing over her with his arms crossed. 

Bulma stood up and looked him over. “Are you alright?”

The Prince shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ll live. I can’t say the same for Dodoria though.”

“You guys stood still for a while there before he suddenly flew off like that. What was that all about?”

“Remember what I said about Frieza destroying planet Vegeta?” She nodded, “It turns out I was dead on the money. He destroyed planet Vegeta and the Saiyan race.”

“Dear Kami.” She whispered, trying to seem shocked. It wasn’t hard since, even though she just heard it for herself, it was still a lot to digest. She looked up at his neutral face, “You don’t seem all that upset about it.”

“I already knew it was him, I just needed to hear it directly from the source. But now, that little tale just helped to reinforce my desire to get my wish from the dragon balls.” He took out the radar and pressed the button a few times. “We’re close by. Let’s get this over with.”

_‘I was just thinking how I’m going to try and be more friendly towards Vegeta then he reminds me about the dragon balls. New friend or not, I’m still determined to bring my old friends back. Man, I really am in over my head.’_ Bulma mused, feeling a headache coming on.

Vegeta wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her surprisingly gently to his side. He floated into the air and flew off in the direction of their first find.

He deliberately left out the part about the Earthlings being on the planet. It seems that the voices the woman heard after he’d defeated Cui had belonged to her little friends. They must have been suppressing their powers so he couldn’t sense them. 

He didn’t think it was possible for them to make it so far into space but, as usual, they’d managed to surprise him yet again.

_‘Even though it’s obvious they’re here for the woman, they must also be here to wish their pathetic friends back to life.’_

Vegeta smirked deviously.

_‘Too bad I don’t have any intention of letting them have that wish.’_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, Bulma finds out the sad truth about her captor. And we finally introduce the show’s favourite villain into the story. Like seriously, he’s in almost every saga in DBZ🤦🏽♀️.
> 
> Okay so a quick note. I have exams coming up for the next few weeks so I’ll be away for a while. Varsity is such a pain at times. But I’ll be back before you know it with more drama!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thank you to Somer_ville for your review on the last chapter! I really appreciate the feedback!
> 
> As always, stay safe and happy everybody! Peace, love and good vibes to you all🎆✨! See you soon!
> 
> RR18❤🌹


	7. Qualms

The duo was whizzing across the open plains and sea green waters in complete silence. They were travelling faster than before since Dodoria confirmed that Frieza and his lackey’s were all flying blind since their scouters were destroyed. They were now completely unhindered and could cover more ground much faster than before.

Despite them making good time, Vegeta’s thoughts were somewhere else.

_‘So, it turns out I was right. Frieza was the one responsible for the destruction of planet Vegeta. I just needed to hear it from the source so that I could be absolutely certain.’_ He mused. _‘For years, Frieza looked me dead in the eye and stuck with his lame story about how it was destroyed by a meteor. And then Dodoria went and told me about how my father tried to save me. What a fucking joke!’_ He unclenched his teeth when he felt a sharp pain go through his mouth. 

_‘The fact that he destroyed the planet and killed my father isn’t the real issue. It’s how, for years, Frieza always had a knowing look in his eyes whenever he spoke about the destruction of planet Vegeta whenever he “disciplined” me for failing an assignment. He must’ve been so damn pleased with himself thinking I was none the wiser.’_

His eyes narrowed, rage flowing through him wild and unchecked. He needed to kill something, spill some blood to alleviate his anger before he loses his cool.

“Hello! Earth to Vegeta!”

He snapped out of dark musings and looked down at his little captive in annoyance. 

“What?” He all but snarled.

Bulma narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t take that tone with me. I’d been calling you for at least a solid ten seconds with no response. It’s not my problem that your head was in the clouds.” 

She let out a breath, letting go of her irritation. “In any case, it doesn’t matter. We’ve reached the first village.” 

Vegeta followed her pointed finger, seeing the settlement in the distance. He felt a surge of anticipation go through him when he thought about how close he was to the dragon ball.

“Hey, let me do the talking here, okay?” Bulma said.

He looked down at her, his eyebrow raised. “Why?”

“Why?” She parroted, a flat look on her face. “Well, first of all, have you **met** you recently? Your aura alone is enough to give grown men nightmares.” He smirked at that. “Secondly, they’re more likely to give it to me since I’ll be asking for it **nicely**. Cause you know, being polite actually goes a long way in getting you what you want. Something you need to learn to do for future references.”

Vegeta ignored her snide comment, thinking over her proposal. He supposed there was no harm in letting her do the negotiating. It will certainly get them what they want faster. Not to mention…

The sooner they got the dragon ball, the sooner he could slaughter the entire village in order to satiate the lust for blood and turmoil that’s roaring through his veins until he could confront Frieza. He smirked minutely, already hearing the screams of despair and loss as he laughed cruelly at the sight of their helplessness.

The Prince caught her gaze, the look in his eyes making her feel a little uneasy. “Have at it woman. I won’t stop you.”

Bulma searched his eyes, before nodding slowly. She couldn’t help but feel like something was about to happen.

_‘Don’t be silly, it’s just you being nervous about coming into contact with a totally different race of people for the first time. Nothing to worry about there.’_

She really hoped that was the case.

* * *

It was a normal day in the village. They were going about their own business, the adults doing the daily work and the children laughing and playing together. Nothing out of the ordinary and the day was passing peacefully.

That is until a couple of strangers touched down in the middle of the village. The Namekians took them in, curiosity shining in their eyes. A few comments about ‘outsiders’ and ‘visitors’ were muttered but nonetheless, no one made a move.

Bulma untangled herself from Vegeta’s hold and, with a pointed look reminding him of their chat and him rolling his eyes in assent, made her way over to the inhabitants. She gave them the kindest smile she could muster and tried to appear as harmless as possible.

“Greetings. We apologise for landing here so unexpectedly, I promise we mean no ill intent.” She said, her tone friendly and soft. 

For a moment, no one said anything in response and she tilted her head slightly.

_‘I didn’t take into account that they probably don’t understand me…’_

“We understand you just fine, friend. We just weren’t expecting visitors not from around here is all.”

But of course she said that out loud. Well, at least she knew they understood her now.

The heiress turned to the voice, seeing an elderly Namekian holding a staff step forward, a small smile on his face.

“My name is Tsuno, I’m the elder of this village. Who might you be?”

Bulma answered with a smile of her own. “My name is Bulma and that man”, she gestured with her head behind her, “his name is Vegeta. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. So what brings you to our planet, Miss Bulma?”

“It’s a bit of a long story, but I’ll try to be as brief as possible. I don’t know if you’re aware of the situation on the planet right now-”

“Yes, we’re aware.” He interrupted. “In the beginning, we assumed you were with the invaders but I sensed your aura. It’s pure and untainted so I knew you weren’t the threat.”

Bulma sighed in relief, happy she could cut her story short. “Good. Then you know that they’re here for the dragon balls and they aren’t interested in negotiating for them. They’re all over the planet searching for villages and leaving them in ruins when they’re done.”

Tsuno nodded, his heart heavy with dread. “Yes, this is true. We’ve sensed a dark, tainted presence on the planet. It’s been around for a few days now. We’ve been dreading that any moment, they could land in our village and steal the dragon ball from us. The same dragon ball that I assume you’re here for.”

“Yes, that’s right. Though I assure you that we’re not here to take it from you forcefully but rather to ask if you could please grant us permission to take it. We have a place where we can keep it safe from the tyrant raiding the planet and hinder his plans to use them.” Bulma said, her eyes shining with genuine intent.

The elder paused, considering her words. Though he wasn’t too keen on giving the dragon ball to someone he barely knew, he believed the young woman’s words when she said they could keep it safe from the evil one and put a halt to his intentions. Her intentions held merit but first, he needed to be sure he wouldn’t be making a mistake in giving her the precious stone.

“I don’t see the harm in that logic. However, before I can make my decision, I need to ask you something.”

Bulma nodded for him to continue.

“You obviously have a good amount of knowledge on the dragon balls even though you’ve never been to our planet before. So I’m curious as to how you know of them to begin with.” He looked at her pointedly, waiting for her answer.

“I come from a planet called Earth. We have our own set of dragon balls created by the guardian of the planet who is also a Namekian. We just don’t know when he came onto the planet. His name is Kami. The thing is, he died so they’re obsolete now. Hence why we’re here on Namek.”

“I see.” Tsuno rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowed in thought. That certainly lifted the worry he was feeling. For the most part anyway. 

He looked over at Bulma. “I’ve considered your words and I would like to give you the dragon ball”, he put his hand up to stop her, “But I’m wary of one small thing.”

“What is it?” Bulma asked, feeling slightly dejected.

“As I said before, I sensed no malice coming from you. Your companion, however”, He slid his gaze over to a now smirking Vegeta, “is a different story. I sense a great deal of evil in his spirit. It’s very similar to those of the invaders. Especially the one with the largest power emanating from him. I fear that trusting him would bring more harm than good.”

Bulma cut in quickly, her stance pleading with him to understand. “That large power is from a being called Frieza. He’s the tyrant of the universe. Believe me when I say that that monster is the real threat here, not Vegeta.”

The elder shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry my dear but I just can’t take that risk.”

“Alright. I think this little exchange has gone on long enough.” 

Bulma and Tsuno looked over to see Vegeta approaching them. She didn’t know what it was but something about his demeanor made the bad feeling in her stomach make itself known again.

“Vegeta…” Bulma warned, apprehension taking hold of her heart. This wasn’t good. Not at all.

He came to a stop in front of the old Namekian. “If I were you, I’d be using that ability to sense a being’s true intentions to co-operate and hand over the dragon ball instead of trying to keep it from me, because if you don’t”, the Prince leaned forward, his entire being radiating with malice, “I’d be more than happy to show you just how right you are in your perception of me.”

Tsuno took a horrified step back from the man in front of him, the warrior’s dark eyes were shining with the promise of bloodshed and destruction. His instincts were yelling at him that they were all in grave danger and he had a feeling that none of them had the power to stop it.

“Vegeta! You can’t just threaten to hurt them for not giving you the dragon ball! You have no right!” 

He merely laughed at that statement. “Woman, we tried dealing with them your way and they’re clearly not budging. So now it’s time to throw the niceties out the window and do this **my way**.”

“If you think you can threaten me and still expect to get the dragon ball then you’re sadly mistaken. I would rather die than leave it in your hands!” Tsuno passionately stated. His tone got the warriors of the village to step forward, righteous expressions on their faces, ready to defend their elder and their people with their lives.

“Step back Elder Tsuno, we’ll deal with him.” One of the warriors said, stepping in front of the elder.

“Oh no. I’m shaking in my boots.” Vegeta mockingly said, his stance completely relaxed. He widened his legs slightly, feeling his body tense with anticipation. “Last chance Namek. Hand over the dragon ball or suffer the consequences.” 

“Vegeta please!” Bulma pleaded, her heart racing with alarm. He ignored her.

“I refuse.” Tsuno said, his eyes locked with Vegeta’s.

The Prince looked at him, his blank expression giving away nothing. The villagers and Bulma had their hearts in their throats, waiting for his reaction.

Slowly, an expression so sinister that it could scare the most abominable demons in hell into submission came upon his visage.

“Wrong answer”, he whispered, a wolfish grin plastered on his face.

The Prince leisurely raised his hand and aimed a finger towards the elder, a ki blast building in size and ready to be fired.

“Just know that if you kill me, you’ll never find out where the dragon ball is!” Tsuno yelled.

His grin still in place, Vegeta took the radar out of his breastplate and showed it to the old fool. “I don’t need you to tell me. With this device, I can locate exactly where the dragon ball is, which so happens to be in that building behind you to the right.”

At that moment, Bulma cursed the day she made the radar since it was now being used by the worst person who could ever get their hands on it.

_‘He’s really going to kill them! I have to do something!’_

“No, it can’t be.” The old man whispered in horror.

“Unfortunately for you, it is. You’ve just wasted your one and only trump card. Now say goodbye!”

In the blink of an eye, Bulma jumped in front of the elder and his warriors with her arms spread. “Stop it Vegeta! You don't have to resort to this!” She cried, her expression pleading.

Vegeta scowled fiercely at her. “Woman, get out of the way.”

“I’ll move as soon as you put your hand down. Please, it doesn’t have to end this way.”

His ki blast grew in intensity. “If you don’t move then I’ll just blast you along with the rest of them.”

“Miss Bulma, please don’t endanger your life for us. You owe us nothing.” Tsuno whispered, frightened for the young woman but at the same time awed by her bravery.

The heiress’ expression shifted, going from pleading to fiery in a heartbeat. She widened her stance and lifted her chin, her gaze never leaving Vegeta’s.

“Then so be it. Fire that blast and prove that you’re no better than Frieza.”

Vegeta smirked cruelly at her, not fooled by her little act of bravery. “Don’t waste your breath woman. I never claimed to be better. I’m a killer, just like him.”

“But you could be. Better, I mean.” Saying a silent prayer, Bulma started walking slowly towards him, her eyes still locked on his. 

“You don’t have to kill to get your way, not anymore. You’re free from his clutches.” Stopping just in front of his ki blast, the heat of it palpable through her jumpsuit, she spoke again. “You can be whatever the hell you want, instead of staying in Frieza’s shadow.”

The Prince gazed into her crystal blue eyes, shining with a righteous flame so bright, it dwarfed the heat of the planet's three suns. He moved his eyes over to the villagers behind her and grimaced heavily.

Who the hell did she think she was telling him that he didn’t have to kill?! She was just a weak human that he could snap in half with his will alone. She had no place addressing him in such a manner! He ought to make her eat her words and kill her for her insolence!

Steeling his resolve, he clenched his jaw and prepared to fire his blast. Until he made the mistake of looking into her eyes once more.

Their radiant blue hue still burned with virtuous indignation, innocence, life...and something else. Something he’d never seen before.

Belief...in him.

She still held belief that he would not kill them. She stood tall, fierce and proud. The scent of her fear permeated the air around them and yet there she stood, her sapphire eyes locked onto the eyes of her executioner and burning bright with life. 

_“You can be whatever the hell you want, instead of staying in Frieza’s shadow.”_

Her fervent expression reminded him of...himself. That was the exact same expression he wore every time he was forced to kneel before Frieza but never looking away from his gaze. Gods above, the more she looked at him, the more he felt the heat of her blue flames scorch his very being. It set a fire in his veins that reciprocated in response.

The Prince growled savagely at his thoughts and gathered the blast in the palm of his hand, swinging his arm back and firing. 

Bulma crossed her arms and closed her eyes, waiting for the end. A huge explosion rocked the terrain and she screamed, falling to her knees. She coughed from the dust cloud and stood up, fanning it away from her face.

_‘I’m still alive. Unreal. Then what did he shoot at?’_

Bulma turned to inspect the damage, almost fearful of what she’d see.

“Oh my Kami…” she whispered.

Just behind the village, lay the rubble of what used to be a huge mountain. He’d somehow managed to bypass everyone and blast it into smithereens. 

_‘We were literally millimetres away from biting the dust.’_

The heiress slowly turned back to face Vegeta. His back was to the rest of them, his arms were crossed so tightly that his muscles were bulging and she could see that his tail, although around his waist, had bristled three times its normal size.

“Vegeta?” She called out softly.

“You’d be wise to keep your mouth shut and get the dragon ball. Right. Now.” She shivered lightly, feeling the temperature around them dropping with the soft tone of his words.

“But-”

“Miss Bulma”, Tsuno quickly interrupted, “Please follow me. I’ll lead you to where the ball is kept.”

The villagers murmured lightly around him.

“Elder Tsuno, you can’t…”

He raised his hand slightly. “I’ve made my choice. This way my dear.” He led the way to the dragon ball. They arrived at the small building and walked inside.

“Oh my goodness.” Bulma whispered in awe.

There, on top of a beautiful purple pillow, sat the biggest dragon ball she had ever seen. It easily dwarfed the ones on Earth. 

“Here you are.” Tsuno took it from its perch and handed it to her.

She took it, feeling its weight in her arms. “Thank you so much.”

He nodded slightly. “Just think, I really wasn’t planning on giving it to you until what I witnessed changed my mind.”

Bulma looked at him apologetically. “I’m so sorry about Vegeta. I was truly hoping he wouldn’t resort to threatening you like that.”

“It’s alright child. It wasn’t your fault. In fact, we owe you our lives. If you hadn’t been here, this may have ended in a completely different way. In any case, his very-real threat wasn’t the only contributing factor to my decision.”

“It wasn’t?”

He shook his head. “It was strange. I was certain that we were all about to die...until you spoke up.” Tsuno gazed into Bulma’s eyes. “After you gave him your passionate speech, I felt something. His expression gave away nothing but in his spirit I sensed hesitation. He was conflicted about what to do. Something tells me that for a warrior like him, hesitating with the simple decision of ‘kill or don’t kill’ never happens, and it’s all thanks to you.”

Bulma almost dropped the ball from her grip. “What? No way, that’s not true. He only changed his mind cause I compared him to Frieza.”

“Exactly, and that wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t been here to say those words to him. You played a role in his decision and that clearly doesn’t sit well with him at all.”

She scoffed, “Understatement of the century.”

Tsuno chuckled lightly. “In any case, we’re forever grateful to you for saving us. There aren’t a lot of beings out there willing to jump in front of complete strangers and risk their own lives.”

Bulma smiled softly, a small blush on her cheeks. “It was no problem really. Well, I should get going before Vegeta decides to change his mind again.”

“Of course. Just out of curiosity, what wishes are you planning to make with the balls?”

“Oh, uh I-” she paused, processing his words. “I’m sorry, did you just say _wishes?_ ”

Tsuno nodded. “Yes, wishes. Our dragon has the ability to grant three wishes.”

Three wishes?

_Three whole wishes?!_

_Holy shit!_

This was perfect! With three wishes, they could use one to bring the guys back and Vegeta could have the other one to wish for immortality! Well, no not immortality. That was a bad idea through and through. There had to be another way, another wish he could make in order to help him in his fight against Frieza!

Oh, wait…

Bulma groaned, feeling hopelessness start to wash over her again. “That’s actually the least of our worries. We still need to find a way to get the other balls away from Frieza without him finding out. Honestly, I don’t see how we can manage to do it without attracting his attention or getting ourselves killed in the process.”

“Hmm.” Tsuno scratched his chin, trying to come up with something. “I’m sorry but I’m at a loss myself. It really doesn’t look too good. But I have faith that somehow, you’ll find a way.”

“I hope so. I really do.” She mused.

“And when you do, come back here and we’ll give you the password.”

Her eyes snapped up. “Password?”

The elder nodded. “Of course. The dragon balls won’t work without the password. It’s a failsafe for events such as this one.”

But of course there’s a password. Well, if nothing else, it was a small comfort knowing the dragon couldn’t be summoned all willy nilly.

They left the hut and made their way back to the front of the village. Bulma saw that Vegeta was still in the same spot she left him.

“This is where we part. Keep your eye on the ball at all times and remember what I said.” Tsuno told the young woman.

Bulma nodded. “Yes of course. Thank you again.”

“Take care Miss Bulma. Until we meet again.”

The heiress smiled and turned, making her way towards Vegeta. The closer she got to him, the more worried she got. He was still as tense as before, if not more.

“I got it.” She said softly, waiting for him to respond.

He turned around and looked at the ball in her hands before catching her gaze. Her heart started beating faster when she looked at him, his blank expression doing nothing to ease her worry.

_‘It’s not just his face. It’s his eyes too. His face is blank but his eyes are burning with anger.’_

She started to fidget, feeling small under his heavy gaze. “We should go back to the capsule house so we can leave the ball before finding another one.”

He nodded minutely, his face cold as ice. Before she could do anything, he unceremoniously tossed her over his shoulder.

“Hey, watch it! I almost dropped the ball!” She yelled.

“Quiet.” His tone was gentle yet venomous. It was unnerving. He was starting to scare her a little.

Bulma decided to keep her mouth shut and say nothing. She knew when to pick her battles and could see that this definitely wasn’t the time to fight with him. She watched as the ground beneath her got smaller as he levitated before he took off towards their base.

_‘I just hope that he’d have calmed down by the time we get back.’_

This could get ugly.

* * *

Tsuno stood silently watching the young woman and her companion flying into the distance, the precious gem in their possession shining radiantly even from where he stood. Once they were out of sight, he let out a quiet sigh and turned back towards the village.

“Elder Tsuno, are you sure that giving them the dragon ball was the right thing to do? It could have negative repercussions later on.” One of the villagers stated, his eyes lit with a hint of concern.

The elder nodded in affirmation. “I understand your concerns but I truly believe the ball is in good hands. That young lady will protect it with everything she has, I’m sure of it.”

“Elder Tsuno! Are you alright?!” A small voice cried out.

The old Namekian turned to face the source of the voice, his eyes widening when he saw Dende running towards him with two beings similar to Bulma right behind him.

“Dende my son! What brings you here?” He asked, pleasantly surprised to see the young boy.

The young boy stopped in front of him, his eyes shining with happiness. “I came here to see if you were all alright. Thank goodness nothing happened to you.”

“Likewise Dende. I’m glad to see you are alright as well. Did Mori send you here by yourself?” His heart filled with anxiety when he saw the light in the child’s eyes dim at the mention of Mori.

“No he didn’t. Our village was attacked by outsiders, evil men who destroyed everything and killed everybody looking for the dragon ball. I’m the only one left.” He muttered, his voice filled with sorrow.

“Those monsters!” One villager cried out.

“How could they so callously kill our brothers?!” Asked another.

Tsuno held on to the young boy’s shoulders. “Dende, how did you manage to escape?”

“They saved me from the evil ones just before it was too late.” He looked up as Dende gestured to the two strangers behind him. One of them was a short male dressed in an orange and blue outfit while the other was a young boy dressed in Namekian clothing. How curious.

“Thank you both for saving my son. You have our eternal gratitude.” Tsuno said to them.

“Please, you don’t need to thank us. We did what we had to do.” The short man walked forward with a smile. 

“My name is Krillin. And this is Gohan.” He gestured to the young boy beside him.

“I am Tsuno, the elder of this village. May I ask, just how did you manage to save Dende from the invaders?”

Krillin’s gaze faltered for a second before he spoke. “We sensed a great, evil power in the general direction of Dende’s village and went to investigate. When we got there, we saw that the oppressive power came from a being who was giving orders to his soldiers to slaughter the villagers and take the dragon ball. The elder of that village had managed to destroy the devices that the soldiers used to track their power levels so that they couldn’t find any other villages. They killed him for that and unfortunately Dende was the only one we managed to save.”

“I see.” Tsuno said solemnly. Mori was a wise man who used his cunning to save them until the very end. His loss was a great one. “And what brings you to the planet? Are you also in search of the dragon balls?”

“Well, yes and no. While we did come here to search for the dragon balls, we also came to rescue our friend who’d been kidnapped by a Saiyan named Vegeta from our home planet. He took her because he believed she’d be useful in helping him find the dragon balls. That’s one of the reasons we came here as fast as we could. We felt his energy so we came to try and stop him from destroying your village and taking the ball.” Krillin explained.

“Yes of course. The young woman named Bulma. She was here with the man you spoke of not so long ago, asking for the dragon ball. Although I never did get an answer as to why they needed them”

Gohan stepped forward. “We’re not too sure either but since Vegeta wants to use the balls to make a wish, it can’t be good. You see, he came to Earth along with another Saiyan so that they could use our dragon balls for their own purposes. Our planet’s best warriors came forward to try and stop them but in the end, it wasn’t enough. A lot of our friends died in that battle, one of them who’s life force was tied to the dragon balls. So we came here to search for the dragon balls so we could wish them all back.”

_‘That was the plan, until we ran into another problem in the form of Frieza. So now we have Vegeta and Frieza to deal with. Jeez, why can’t anything just go according to plan for once?’_ Krillin inwardly groaned.

“Elder Tsuno we have to help them! Vegeta is to them what that monster Frieza is to us. We have to help them wish their friends back!” Dende confidently exclaimed.

The old Namekian sighed heavily. “I know that Dende and I would like to help them but”, he looked at the boys, “Unfortunately, as I stated before, they already left with the dragon ball just before you arrived. I’m terribly sorry.”

“It’s not your fault sir. Considering your lives were threatened in exchange for it, we completely understand. But that Vegeta, I just don’t trust him. Not one bit. I wouldn’t put it past him to kill Bulma and take the dragon ball for himself.” Krillin said, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

“No, I don’t think he will. He had the chance to do away with her along with the rest of us when she challenged him.” Tsuno stared into the distance as he thought back to that fateful moment. “It was a peculiar sight. His outward appearance was similar to a statue, cold and unmoving. Yet his spirit was conflicted, an inner war taking place. And instead of going through with his threat, he pushed his inclination to kill aside and spared us all. That on it’s own helped me to make my decision.”

“I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it for myself.” Gohan chimed in. “As soon as he moved to attack, we were about to jump in until we saw his blast hit the mountain instead of Bulma or any of you. It was unexpected to say the least.”

Krillin shook his head, his arms crossed. “One little blip in judgement doesn’t change anything Gohan. He’s still a major threat to her and we have to get her back. And we still need to gather the dragon balls and wish all our friends back.” He let out an agitated breath. “Man, I wish Goku was here. He’d know what to do.”

The whole village was silent, lost in their thoughts until Tsuno’s eyes widened in realisation.

“Dende, why don’t you take them to see Guru? I’m positive that he would be able to come up with a way to assist your friends in their journey.”

“Of course! That’s a great idea elder!” Dende exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement.

“Guru? Who’s that?” Gohan asked.

“Guru is the oldest Namekian and the father to all of us. He’s also the one whose life force is tied to the dragon balls. If there’s anyone who can lend you a hand, it’s him. I guarantee it.” Tsuno explained.

“That’s great! So where is he? Is he close by?” Krillin asked.

The elder narrowed his eyes, his expression thoughtful. “He’s northeast of here. It should take you a few hours to reach him.”

“Okay. Gohan, let’s get-” Krillin stopped as he felt Vegeta’s power level. He was on the move, heading somewhere and...Bulma wasn’t with him! Perfect!

“What is it Krillin?” 

The monk smiled brightly at his young friend. “Change of plans. Dende and I are going to see Guru. You should go to where Bulma is. She’s somewhere south of here. Vegeta just flew off somewhere and he left her alone. This is our chance to get her back!”

Gohan grinned widely, his heart racing with excitement. “That’s great news! Okay, I’m on it.”

“Good luck kid. Oh, by the way. Did you remember to put the transmitter in your bag?”

The young Saiyan patted his backpack in confirmation. “Yep, right here.”

“Great! Hopefully Bulma will be able to talk to her dad.” Krillin faced the old man. “Thank you again for your help sir. We really appreciate it. Just be on the lookout for any of Frieza’s soldiers. They’re dressed in the same armour as Vegeta so they’ll stand right out.”

“Of course. I wish you well on your endeavours my friends. Good luck.”

Krillin nodded, hope slowly making its way through him. Maybe they could actually get this in the bag. 

“Alright Gohan, let’s do it!”

“Right!” He exclaimed.

Krillin smiled at the young Namek excitedly. “Lead the way Dende!”

The trio blasted into the air and took off on their respectful missions, mindful to keep their power levels low to avoid detection.

Things were starting to look up for the Earth warriors. They’d find a way to bring their friends back to life and rescue Bulma from Vegeta. Not to mention, Goku was hopefully on his way! They had to hold on a little bit longer!

_They just had to._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I’m back from the purgatory known as exams! It took far too long but at least it’s over now.  
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! It’s one of my favourites so far! I really hope it was worth the wait.  
> As always, thank you to Anotherfan101 for your review on the last chapter. You're the best!  
> Please review! Don’t forget that you can also find this story on FFN under the same pen name.  
> Stay safe and healthy everyone! Peace, love and good vibes to you all🎆✨! Til next time my dudes!
> 
> RR18🌹❤


	8. Surprises

Bulma held on as tight as she could with one arm around Vegeta’s waist and the dragon ball in the other while he flew at breakneck speed. She knew he was pissed at her stunt with saving the villagers but this was ridiculous. 

_'If he doesn't slow down he'll have no right to complain when his suit becomes more colourful than it is now.'_ She thought, nausea running through her.

“Vegeta! If you don’t slow down right now I’m gonna throw up all over your clean white boots **and** I’ll drop your precious dragon ball at the same time!” She yelled through the wind. She knew she shouldn’t be making any kind of threat to him or his plans given his volatile state but she really wanted him to apply the brakes!

Bulma waited for his reaction to that small threat, growing more and more worried as the seconds passed and he didn’t make a sound. Slowly, anxiety started to creep up on her, mixing with her nausea. It was an awful combination that really made her worried about what would happen when they got back to the capsule house.

Just as she felt her stomach was about to give way, Vegeta slowed down and began his descent to the ground. The now soft breeze helped to curb her nausea immensely while they landed, only for her anxiety to creep back up on her when he touched down and walked sharply into the cave holding their hideout. Bulma jumped slightly as he burst through the door, slamming it against the wall.

Before she could drop the load in her arm, Vegeta tossed her none too gently on the couch. She bounced a little before opening her eyes and looking up at her captor. His expression was blank yet even from where she sat, she could feel the malice coming off of him in waves. She barely managed to suppress a shiver when he directed his cold gaze towards her, trepidation slowly making its way through her heart.

_‘Oh man, this is bad. I’ve seen him angry before but not like this. He may just decide to kill me after all, now that he knows how to use the dragon ball radar.’_

However, when she saw a small evil smirk form on his lips indicating he enjoyed watching her fear of him, she steeled her nerves and glared at him, consequences be damned. “What the hell is your problem Vegeta, tossing me around like I’m a fucking sack of potatoes!”

The Prince answered with a glare of his own, “You’d best watch your tone when speaking to me, woman. I really am not in the mood for this right now.”

Bulma stood up from the couch, her eyes ablaze with indignation. “You’re not in the mood?! Well that’s too damn bad! You should have thought of that before you started handling me like I was a toy for you to take your anger out on when you didn’t get what you wanted like a spoiled brat!”

“You just don’t know when to stop, do you?” He replied, his tone gaining strength as he went on. “Defying me in every which way and doing whatever you please. You just can’t seem to learn your place!”

“Defying you?! For your information, I’ve been cooperating with you since we left Earth! And now the moment I stop you from killing a bunch of innocent, peace-loving people you want to see me as defiant?! Give me a break!” She narrowed her eyes at him, “I’ll bet you didn’t even want to kill them all that much anyway.”

“I told you to watch your words.” He snarled at her.

“And if I don’t? What will you do huh? Cut out my smart tongue?” The heiress threw his threat back in his face, her eyes never leaving his. The air around them was dense with tension so thick, it was almost suffocating. 

“If you really wanted to kill the Namekians, you could’ve done what I dared you to do and killed me and the villagers. I mean, you already know how to work the dragon radar and you have a safe place to hide the balls so you really don’t need me anymore. So why didn’t you do it? I’ll tell you why, it’s because I compared you to Frieza.”

“What was that?” Vegeta’s tail bristled, his gloves the only thing protecting him from drawing blood, the way his fists were clenched so tight.

Bulma kicked her chin up a notch. “You heard me. You can’t stand being compared to him, can’t stand being like him, no matter how much you act otherwise. My words impacted your judgement and that's what bothers you.”

Faster than her eyes could follow, his hand was on her neck and he moved his face so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. 

“You’re on your last warning, woman.” He said in a deceptively soft tone.

Bulma gazed deep into his onyx eyes, the air around them charged. "Your warning has been heard and ignored so…" her voice dropped to a whisper, “Do your worst, your Highness.”

He narrowed his eyes and slowly tightened his hold on her.

She was prepared for him to snap her neck. She was prepared for him to blast her into the next dimension.

What she wasn’t prepared for was for Vegeta to kiss her so passionately, it felt like a fire had erupted in her blood.

His lips were full and soft, a stark contradiction to his hard body. He slid his hand to the back of her neck and tipped her head back, taking full control of the kiss. 

_‘Kami, his kiss is so domineering and hot compared to Yamcha’s sweet kisses.’_

Bulma’s eyes suddenly burst open.

_‘Holy crap, Yamcha! What the fuck am I doing lip locking his enemy?!’_

Gripping his shoulder pads, she pulled away and looked at him, her eyes filled with shock. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I thought it was obvious what I’m doing.”

“You can’t just kiss me like that.” She argued weakly.

He grinned wolfishly, bringing her body against his. “Why not?”

“Because”, she trailed off, looking at his lips again. Damn, what was the reason again? 

"You just can't."

The Prince smirked in a way that had her breath hitching and her heart racing. He said in a husky baritone, “I’m only following what you said I should do Bulma.” His voice dropped to a sensuous growl, “I’m doing my worst."

Any words she was going to say in response were swallowed by Vegeta when he kissed her again. He walked her backwards and when he felt the back of her knees hit the couch, he tipped them over and landed on the couch. Bulma gasped in surprise and he took advantage, sliding his tongue in her mouth.

The heiress moaned her pleasure, her mind going blank, and returned his kiss in kind. He swirled his tongue around hers, leaned back and pulled her bottom lip with his teeth. He let go with a pop and she gasped. Chuckling at her reaction, Vegeta wrapped his tail around her leg and pulled them apart, settling between her thighs.

The Prince looked into her eyes, darkened with lust. He slowly swiveled his hips, letting her feel his desire for her, his blood heating when her eyes darkened to a midnight blue. He dipped his head and kissed her, almost groaning at the sweet taste of her lips and the intoxicating scent of her desire in the air around them.

Bulma was lost in a sea of pleasure, her body's senses heightened and aware of Vegeta's kisses and caresses. She felt him wrap his arm around her waist and pull her towards him. She dragged her nails through his scalp, swallowing his appreciative growl. The heiress felt him fist her hair and he pulled. She whimpered, her neck exposed to him.

Vegeta buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled, taking in her enticing scent. It was a sweet, intoxicating aroma that called to him. He cupped her breast and squeezed, running his thumb over her clothed nipple. He bit his lip when her hips jerked against his own, his cock getting harder by the second. The Prince placed a few hot kisses on her neck, tasting her delicate skin. 

Spurred on by her moans and whimpers, he dragged his sharp teeth across her neck. His tail unraveled from her leg and swayed softly, its motion hypnotic. Vegeta unconsciously nipped at her skin with his teeth, not really hearing her hiss, a small drop of blood leaving the tiny wound. He tasted her essence and growled against her skin, chuckling darkly at the resulting shiver. He moved his mouth to the crook of her neck, going on instinct alone. Bulma placed her hand behind his head, her legs wrapped around his waist.

"Vegeta." She whispered in his ear, dragging her hand through his hair.

That whisper snapped was all he needed to snap out of his stupor. When he realised what he was about to do, Vegeta moved off of her faster than a bolt of lightning and stood by the door, his back to her. He took deep breaths, trying to cool his raging blood.

_'What the hell was that? I almost….almost…'_

"Vegeta, what's wrong?" He heard her ask, her voice tinged with concern. 

He turned his head slightly and quickly glanced at her neck. He almost snarled when he saw the red mark on her neck. How could he have let himself go like that? He almost bit the damn woman!

Before he could answer, he felt a familiar ki in the distance. Vegeta smirked cruelly, suddenly elated at the opportunity to rid the universe of another of Frieza's lackeys and get away from this...distraction.

"Vegeta?" Bulma asked again, starting to feel awkward in the silence.

"I just felt another one of Frieza's generals around the area, most likely searching for Dodoria." He turned to face her, his eyes serious. "Stay here and wait for my return."

"But-"

He left before she could finish her sentence. Vegeta dashed out of the cave and sped towards Zarbon.

On his way to face his adversary, he thought back to the recent event on the couch. 

_'How could I have been so reckless?! I acted as if it was my first time with a female. How preposterous!'_ He scolded, not believing his actions.

He wasn't surprised at what had happened between them. They'd had some tension for a while so their coming together was a long time in the making. What he hadn't expected was what happened before he leapt off of her.

Vegeta was no stranger to bedding a woman. Whenever the urge came, he found and seduced a woman, got the job done and snuffed the unlucky soul of the hour afterwards. But something about Bulma was different. He was starting to think that even if they'd ended up having sex, just once wasn't going to be enough.

_'Now isn't that just wonderful?'_ He thought sarcastically.

Just what was it about Bulma Briefs that was different to every other woman, hell, every other person he'd ever encountered? 

In the beginning, she was deathly afraid of him and rightly so. He'd threatened to kill her family and friends unless she cooperated and helped him find the dragon balls on another planet. Yet, despite her fear she still held her ground and stood up to him whenever he challenged her. Over time, that fear started waning and was replaced by some form of camaraderie until it vanished completely from her scent.

Her scent…

The scent of her fear had given him a sort of high, the same high he always got when he terrorized countless people and planets. However, the first time he got a whiff of her sweet scent on Planet Frieza, that's when things slowly started shifting, when he wanted to get more of it rather than her fear. He thought of the conversation they had when they were having their meals and how...relaxed the air between them was.

And of course, the incident with the Namekian village. That was the one that baffled him the most.

_'She had dared me, literally dared me to kill everyone and her. And yet I didn't. Instead I destroyed a fucking mountain behind them. Why?! What the hell does it all mean?!'_

It really bothered him how one small slip of a woman had managed to get under his skin in such a small amount of time. He'd allowed her to get away with stopping him from spilling the blood of those weak villagers when, in the past, he had killed others for simply looking at him wrong.

Yet still, even after he'd voiced his displeasure at her constant defiance and threatened her in the Capsule house, she'd still dared to challenge him. Taunt him and dare him even more. 

Vegeta thought back to their argument. Her eyes had been sparkling with life and righteous indignation. She'd held his gaze the whole time, never breaking stride. Her inner fire had been burning bright, calling out to him in its intensity. 

And of course, he's never been one to back down from a challenge.

While he'd kissed her, her scent had wafted delicately around them. The sweet smell had faintly reminded him of the most exotic flower that basked in the rays of the sun from Planet Vegeta. She was responsive to his every touch, prompting him to do more. Once he'd gotten a taste of her blood, his mind had shut off and his instincts had taken over, driving him to where they believed he had to go and he'd let them. 

Until he'd almost bit her neck.

Vegeta had never done that before. After that almost-accident, he couldn't get off of her fast enough. 

_'Gods, just what has that damned woman done to me?!'_ His mind raced, trying to come up with an answer. The only time he could remember something similar to this was when…

Vegeta's eyes widened, his mouth going dry.

No. It can't be…

Bulma Briefs, an earthling woman…

She was his-

_‘No she’s not! I refuse to even entertain such a preposterous idea! No way!’_

The Prince snapped back to attention when he felt Zarbon getting closer.

_'Whatever. It doesn't help thinking about it now. I have more important things to worry about. The woman will just have to wait._

Removing her from his thoughts, he increased his speed, anxious to be rid of Frieza's right hand man once and for all.

* * *

Bulma sat in silence, looking out the door that Vegeta had just dashed out of, placing her fingers on her still tingling lips.

The heiress couldn't believe what had happened just now. Sure, she’d told him to do his worst but in saying that, she’d expected him to kill her by strangling her, not by kissing her within an inch of her life!

_‘And boy, did he really steal my breath with that kiss. Dear Kami.’_ She mused, blushing at the memory.

When he’d kissed her, it had felt so...different yet so good, only for her to put a stop to things when she’d thought about Yamcha. Well she’d **tried** to put a stop to it but…

When he’d spoken to her under his breath and seduced her with his scorching onyx eyes, as soon as he’d kissed her again she’d been powerless to stop him. Hell, if she was being completely honest she didn’t want him to stop. Bulma had a feeling that if he hadn’t ended up sensing one of Frieza’s soldiers, she would have let him have his way with her.

And that unsettled her. A lot.

Bulma sighed heavily, deciding that a shower was in order. 

_‘Maybe I’ll be able to sort all of this out in there. Kami knows it’s been far too long since I had a decent shower.’_

She got to the bathroom and turned on the water. Once it was hot enough, she stripped out of her clothes and made her way in, groaning at the wonderful feeling of the water gliding over her skin.

_‘Damn that feels amazing! Okay, so where was my train of thought before? Ugh, that’s right. The moment on the couch.’_

Now that her mind was clear, she felt guilt flooding her conscience. For goodness sake, she was with Yamcha! She couldn’t be fooling around with anyone else, let alone Vegeta. Has it really been that long since she’s been laid that she would’ve had sex with Vegeta?! She knew that she was making an effort to be more friendly with him but not to that extent! She was in a committed relationship for Kami’s sake!

_‘No, that’s not really true.’_ The young genius sighed, putting her hand over her eyes. There wasn’t really a point in using Yamcha as a shield. They were broken up before he went to fight Vegeta and his boorish partner so she wasn’t being unfaithful.

_‘Not that that makes it any better. I may not see him as an enemy anymore but that doesn’t the others feel the same way. He’s still responsible for their deaths and I’m willing to bet my inheritance that they haven’t forgiven him and probably don’t intend to anytime soon.’_

Bulma turned off the water and stepped out, dried herself with a fluffy towel and strolled into the adjoining bedroom. Leaving her clothes to air out on the bed, she put on a fuzzy robe and went back to the living room. Just as she was about to sit down, a soft knock caught her attention. She looked at the front door, quirking up an eyebrow.

_He turned to face her, his eyes serious. "Stay here and wait for my return."_

Was he back already? At least she assumed it was Vegeta seeing as he was the only one who knew where the capsule house was…

Hold on a second.

_‘Vegeta isn’t the type to knock. So that could only mean-’_

Her eyes widened and she felt her palms begin to sweat. She scanned the room quickly, trying to locate a weapon she could use.

_‘There’s no way! There’s just no way he was defeated! Not a chance in hell!’_

Another soft knock. “Miss Bulma? Are you in there? It’s me, Gohan.”

Gohan? But how?

Sliding up to the door, she took a deep breath and opened it. There, looking up at her with soft black eyes and a gentle smile was none other than little Gohan himself. “Hi Miss Bulma.”

The heiress gaped at him for a second before a large radiant smile graced her face. She fell to her knees and pulled the small child into a bear hug. “Gohan! Oh my gosh it really is you!”

The young boy simply stood there, feeling his face grow hot. He wasn’t really used to other people hugging him like this except his mother. 

Bulma pulled away and held him at arm's length, giggling at the blush on his cheeks. It was just so adorable! 

“It’s so good to see you kid. How in the world did you make it to this planet? Who did you come with? And how did you know I was here?”

Gohan blinked, trying to process her rapid fire questions. “Umm…”

“Oh Kami, I’m sorry. Here, come inside.” Bulma stood up and walked him in, shutting the door behind her. She directed him to the couch and sat next to him. “Okay, let me start over. How did you manage to make it to Namek? As far as I know, we don’t have the type of spaceship needed for interstellar travel.”

“I’ll tell you the full story. But first, it’s really good to see you too Miss Bulma. We were all super worried that Vegeta would hurt you or worse.” Gohan said sincerely.

“Oh Gohan, you can just call me Bulma. You have wonderful manners but you don’t need to be so formal with me”, she fluffed his hair with a smile, “As for Vegeta, he hasn’t hurt me so I consider that a win.”

“That’s great news Miss...I mean Bulma.” He smiled bashfully. The half Saiyan suddenly perked up, as if he remembered something. “Oh, before I forget, I have something for you. It’s from your father.”

“What? My father?” She asked.

“Uh huh.” He dug around his backpack and pulled out a device similar to a tablet. “Dr Briefs said it’s a transmitter. Krillin and I used it to speak to him when we got here. He wanted us to give it to you when we found you so that he could speak to you and make sure you were okay.”

She took the device from him, marvelling at how something as simple as a tablet could reach her home planet light years away from her current location.

_‘But then again, that is how the Saiyans knew how to find us with those scouters of theirs.’_

“This is...just amazing. How do I call him?”

Gohan walked her through the process, showing her how to punch in the frequency to reach Earth. The screen fuzzed for a few seconds before a clear picture formed, showing her the lab back home and the weathered face of her father.

Dr Briefs’ eyes widened at the sight before him, his eyes starting to burn. “Bulma darling? Is that really you?” He whispered.

“Hi dad.” Bulma whispered back, tears shimmering in her eyes.

Gohan kept silent, wanting to give them as much privacy as possible. Kami knows how sick with worry her father had been.

“Dear Kami, I was so worried, thinking that horrible man had hurt you. Are you alright?” He asked, scanning her appearance as best as he could from a screen.

“I’m okay dad. Vegeta hasn’t hurt me. Believe it or not, he’s actually been pretty decent. Well, as decent as a kidnapper can be anyway.” Bulma shrugged, a small smile on her face.

Dr Briefs shook his head, “I find that hard to believe.”

“I know. But I’m okay, Gohan and Krillin are okay too and we’ll be working to gather the dragon balls so we can wish our friends back.” Bulma suddenly remembered something and groaned. “Damn it I forgot. Vegeta has the dragon radar with him and he’s not here right now.”

“That’s alright darling.” Dr Briefs smiled at his daughter, “I built another one. I found your schematics of the radar and made a new one for the boys just in case they stumbled upon one or two before finding you.” 

“Really? That’s great!” Bulma looked to the young boy next to her and he pulled out the new radar and handed it to her. She clicked the button and grinned when it came to life, showing her the dragon ball right next to her. “It works perfectly. You’re the best dad!”

“Don’t mention it Bulma. I managed to rebuild two spaceships fast enough to reach you on the other side of the universe. The radar wasn’t a challenge.”

“Rebuild two spaceships?”

“Indeed.” Dr Briefs nodded, his eyes shining with pride. He explained the story about how he came to learn about her capture from Goku and the others and how he’d almost lost hope in finding her until Mr Popo informed them about a ship Kami had used to arrive on Earth. He’d also explained that he’d sent a team of his best engineers to Mount Paozu to find the ship Goku had arrived on Earth in as a baby.

“It had been quite the struggle trying to get that ship working again but my team and I had managed to do it. As soon as it was ready, Krillin and Gohan took off into space. While they were gone, we’d spent just about a month building a new ship from the components we found near Goku’s home. 

I was just about finished with it when he arrived from the hospital, anxious to take off. I told him that I just had to install the coffee maker but he just wouldn’t have it.” he said, chuckling at the memory of Goku’s flustered face.

“Yeah, Goku isn’t really big on waiting.” Bulma giggled.

“Either way, once I showed him how to use the controls, he’d blasted off. I think it was around the same time that the boys had touched down on Namek. So that means...just hold on a second…” he looked at a separate screen, typing something on his keyboard, “he should arrive in a few days.”

“That’s great! With Goku here, we’ll be able to get things done in a snap!” Bulma cheered, her heart filled with elation. Her best friend was on his way to Namek. With him, they could do anything.

After talking a little bit more, after promising she would take care of herself and stay out of trouble, Bulma cut transmission with her father and sighed lightly.

“Thank you Gohan. It was good to see my dad and let him know I was alright.”

He smiled at his friend. “It’s alright Bulma. I’m glad you got to speak to him. But I’m especially happy to know my dad’s gonna be here soon.” His smile fell slowly when he thought of something. “But...why didn’t you tell him about everything that’s happening here?”

Bulma fell back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. “I just didn’t want him to worry anymore than he already has. He put up a strong front but I could see that he was stressed out. Telling him that there was someone here even worse than Vegeta would’ve been too much for him.”

“That someone being Frieza?”

The heiress looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. “You know, instead of me asking you how you know that name, why don’t you tell me about how you managed to find me since you guys landed?”

He did just that, telling her about how they’d sensed Vegeta entering the planet and made their way over to him, knowing she was with him. He also told her how they’d sensed another power level heading right towards them and knew that there was trouble. By the time they’d gotten there, Vegeta had already taken care of that unknown person and while he was still a small way’s away from her, they’d tried to get her attention.

“Well, at least now I know that I wasn’t going crazy thinking I heard a voice calling my name. It was you guys all along.” She mused.

“Yep. After you and Vegeta left, we decided that it would be better to leave you with him because, since he needed you to use the dragon ball radar, we knew he wouldn’t hurt you. So we found a village that was being attacked by Frieza and his soldiers.” Gohan clenched his small fists, his anger resurfacing at the horrible memories. “They were killing innocent villagers trying to find the dragon ball. The elder of that village managed to destroy all their scouters before he was killed too. 

There was only one left, a boy around my age. One of the soldiers was about to kill him too and I just couldn’t let him so I jumped in and knocked him away from the boy, his name is Dende by the way. Krillin and I didn’t waste a second, we got out of there as fast as we could. But that brute followed us and he would’ve caught us if Krillin didn’t use his Solar Flare. We lost him after that.”

Bulma narrowed her eyes, having an idea who he was talking about. “Say Gohan. This soldier, was he burly and, well, pink in colour?”

The half Saiyan nodded. “Yeah. You guys came across him?”

“Mhm. He was flying around looking lost when we found him. Vegeta took care of him pretty easily. After that we went to a village to ask for the dragon ball.” She winced at the memory. “It almost didn’t end well.”

“I know. We felt something bad was about to happen and rushed over as fast as we could. We were really surprised when Vegeta didn’t blast anyone with that attack of his. We were so sure he was going to kill everyone.”

“Trust me I was surprised too. But I can say that, after being around him for so long, I’ve learned that with Vegeta, nothing is as it seems.” The heiress said, her mind going back to that moment she gained a lot of insight on his life from that pink dirtbag.

“The elder said you played a role in stopping him from killing them all.”

Bulma sighed, shaking her head. “I didn’t do anything. He decided on his own that he wasn’t going to slaughter them. Even if it was a small change in his judgement, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s still a danger to us.”

“Krillin said the exact same thing, you know. But...I don’t really believe that all too much now.” Gohan said quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“I remember when I was training with Piccolo, he was the exact same way Vegeta was. Cold and unfeeling. Only for him to do a complete one eighty a year later and save me from certain death.”

“He really did that?” She whispered, unable to believe what she heard.

Gohan nodded. “Then I saw Vegeta hesitate to kill you and the villagers when you defended them. And after the elder told us that he sensed confliction in him, that got me thinking. That maybe...maybe being around someone with a good heart had managed to shift something in him. Even if it was just a little bit.”

“You really think so?”

“It happened with me and Piccolo. Maybe you can be that person for Vegeta.”

The heiress gazed at him for a second before a soft smile graced her lips. “You really are your father’s son, Gohan. In every way that matters. How did you get so wise at such a young age?”

The little boy shrugged bashfully, an adorable blush covering his chubby cheeks.

_‘He reminds me so much of his dad when we first met, with his innocent gaze and his smile. But most of all, he has his father’s heart of gold, willing to give people another chance if he believes they deserve it.’_

“Oh by the way, where is Krillin right now?” 

“He’s gone with Dende to see the Grand Elder of the Namekians. His name is Guru. Elder Tsuno said that Guru could be able to help us in our mission to bring our friends back with the dragon balls. We’d decided that while he went there, I should come here while Vegeta was gone.”

“Well, we already have one right here.” Bulma bent over the couch and showed Gohan the giant orb.

“Wow! It’s so much bigger than the ones back home. I already saw some of them when we encountered Frieza but I still can't get over them. They’re incredible.” He marvelled.

“Mhm. And get this, they can grant us three wishes instead of one!”

His eyes gleamed in excitement. “That’s great news!”

They laughed together, their excitement over the prospects that lay before them practically drowning them in elation. All too soon though, Gohan stopped and furrowed his eyebrows, his head turning towards the door.

“Gohan? What is it?” Bulma asked, her smile dimming slightly.

“When Vegeta left, did he happen to tell you where he was going?”

She shrugged minutely, “He said he was going to take care of another of Frieza’s lackey’s or something like that. Why?”

“Because the person he’s fighting, their power level just jumped significantly.” Gohan said, his voice unusually serious.

“Oh...okay. But I’m sure Vegeta can still handle that guy right? I mean, he’s already done it twice, and very easily at that. I’m sure he’ll be able to beat that guy as well.” Bulma said light heartedly, although her palms started sweating.

“I don’t know. I hope you’re right Bulma.”

The heiress felt her butterflies in her stomach, but it wasn’t the good kind. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

_‘Vegeta, don’t you dare do something stupid and get yourself killed._

She could only hope.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! Another chapter done and dusted. Things are starting to become complicated between our dynamic duo. And at last, Gohan and Bulma see each other again, with Gohan giving her some wise words on her situation with the Prince. And what’ll happen to our dear Prince now? (You already know thanks to the show but humour me LOL).
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! As usual, thank you to Anotherfan101 and wistfulmuse for your reviews on the last chapter! It’s always greatly appreciated.
> 
> Please do review! As always, stay happy and healthy everyone. Peace, love and good vibes to you all✨🎆! Until next time!
> 
> RR18❤🌹


	9. Trouble On The Horizon

“What...in the seven hells is that?” Vegeta said quietly, horrified beyond words at the grotesque transformation of his adversary.

When he’d been close to Zarbon’s general direction, he’d felt the fool's energy moving in circles, obviously signifying that he had no idea where he was. When he’d eventually caught up to him, Zarbon had been shocked to see him, but not for too long.

* * *

_ The Prince remained locked on to Zarbon’s ki, getting more and more excited at the prospect of getting rid of one of his lifelong tormentors once and for all. A moment later he spotted him in the distance, looking for all intents and purposes like a lost puppy. With a malicious grin on his face, Vegeta sped up, ready to deal with that pansy for the last time. _

_ “So, we finally meet again Zarbon. What a surprise.” Vegeta remarked, his tone sarcastic. “I’ve already disposed of that useless Dodoria. And now it looks like your turn.”  _

_ “What?!” Zarbon yelled out, his golden eyes widening in disbelief. “I find that a bit hard to swallow.” _

_ Vegeta chuckled lowly. “I thought you might.” _

_ “I say you’re bluffing.” _

_ “Well you don’t believe me? Then why don’t you try me for yourself Zarbon.” The Prince goaded. _

_ The elegant warrior said nothing, looking over the Saiyan Prince. He sensed something different about Vegeta this time around. Something about the warrior put him on edge, what it was though, he wasn’t sure. _

_ “Come on Vegeta. You should know that you can’t win against Frieza.” He said, tactfully changing the subject. _

_ “That’s what you think. And besides, your precious Frieza isn’t here to protect you. Oh, whatever shall you do?” Vegeta said, mockery present in every syllable. _

_ “I’m not particularly worried about myself, Vegeta. If anything, you should be worried about what your fate will be once Lord Frieza gathers all the dragon balls and makes his wish for immortality.”  _

_ The handsome warrior sported a smirk of his own at the faint surprise in the Saiyan’s eyes. “I mean, that is what you’re here on Namek for as well isn’t it? To make some sort of wish that will allow you to defeat Frieza. Well, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that isn’t going to happen, not with you going at it all alone.” _

_ “Let’s get one thing clear Zarbon,” Vegeta growled out, his fists clenched, “I don’t need anyone to help me find the dragon balls and I’m not going to let anyone stand in my way, understand?” _

_ “Well, someone’s on edge.” The emerald haired warrior said mockingly. “I would at least think with that woman you brought along, she would’ve helped you relax before you snuffed her out. She must not have been all that good. Or maybe she just needed someone who really knows how to pleasure a woman, someone like me.” _

_ The Prince snarled viciously at those words, his ire involuntarily rising at the thought of this succubus getting his paws on Bulma. He’d rip his head off of his shoulders before he got anywhere near her. He stilled at that train of thought. _

**_‘In what universe do I actually give a damn what happens to her?! Her usefulness reached its end when I figured out how to use the dragon ball radar. She’s nothing to me!’_ **

_ “Oh excuse me, did I strike a nerve monkey boy?” Zarbon quipped, his smirk still stuck on his face. _

_ “Enough of this! I’m tired of your constant yapping Zippy! It’s time for you to put up or shut up!” Vegeta hissed, dropping into a fighting position. _

_ “Gladly!” Zarbon followed suit, about to strike his foe when suddenly Vegeta phased out sight, reappearing right behind him. He reacted quickly, phasing a good distance away from his opponent. He charged a powerful ki blast, aiming it right for the Prince and fired. Only for that to fall through when Vegeta easily slapped it away, a huge explosion following a moment later. _

_ “You...surprise me Vegeta.” He called out. _

_ Faster than his eyes could follow, the Saiyan phased in front of him and delivered a quick elbow to his jaw. The elegant warrior snarled and attacked viciously, getting more and more frustrated as Vegeta did nothing but dodge all his attacks with that infuriating smirk on his mug. _

_ “Don’t tell me that’s the best you got Zippy!” Vegeta taunted, still dodging his foes attacks. _

_ “Why you little!” Zarbon yelled. He delivered a powerful kick, only to hit the open air in front of him. _

_ “I’m up here!” Before he could react, he cried out in pain as the Prince followed through with an aerial kick, sending him plummeting towards the earth. He’d barely managed to land when he found himself flying forward, courtesy of a surprise roundhouse kick from his foe. He slid face first through the dirt before coming to a stop. _

_ “How disappointing. I thought you’d be more of a challenge.” Vegeta said, his laughter grating the warriors nerves. _

_ Zarbon got up on shaky arms, breathing heavily before a few laughs escaped from his lips. “My my Vegeta. I must admit, you really have become stronger than ever. Unfortunately for you, it just isn’t enough to defeat me.” _

_ “Oh? Is that so?”  _

_ “But of course.” He got up, ignoring the slight pain on his face and arms. “You see Vegeta, you’re not the only one who has a few tricks up his sleeve. Have you ever heard the saying ‘Beauty is only skin deep?’ Well right now, you only see the beauty.” _

_ Vegeta shook his head, his lips stretched in an amused grin. “Beauty huh? Well, you’ll have to forgive me for not agreeing with that analogy.” _

_ “Oh you poor fool. You already think you’ve won, don’t you?” Zarbon turned to face him with a disturbing glint in his gold eyes. “I’m about to make you see the error of your ways.” _

_ “How about you stop talking in riddles and get to it, Pretty Boy?” _

_ Zarbon grinned maliciously at those words. “With pleasure Vegeta. With pleasure.” _

* * *

And he got to it alright. Vegeta had been expecting him to try and attack him by surprise, attempt to attack him from behind or at least try another ki attack.

What he didn’t expect was for him to transform, doubling his muscle mass and completely changing his face. He normally didn’t care for something as trivial as looks but whatever Zarbon was now made his skin crawl, it was absolutely hideous!

“And now Vegeta, I present to you  **the beast** !” Zarbon proclaimed in a now monstrous voice before charging at Vegeta.

The Prince stood in shock at his astounding speed before finding himself flying through the air, pain radiating from his stomach. Zarbon quickly followed through with a powerful punch to his gut, prompting Vegeta to spit up a glob of blood and sending him crashing to the ground. Vegeta barely had a chance to breathe before Zarbon lifted him up and held on to his head with both hands and began to savagely headbutt him, his skin splitting open with every blow, the blood burning his eyes.

_ ‘What the hell is happening?! I had him on the ropes and now he’s turned the tides!’  _ Vegeta raged silently. Barely managing to gather his bearings, Vegeta delivers a powerful uppercut to the monster's solar plexus, halting his attack on the Prince. Vegeta keeps going, each punch loosening Zarbon’s grip on his head.

Quickly catching on, Zarbon anticipates Vegeta’s next punch and catches it, quickly twisting himself around and getting him in a full nelson, laughing grotesquely at his futile struggle.

“What’s wrong Vegeta? I thought you wanted more of a challenge!” He said, laughing at Vegeta’s frustrated growls. While he held his struggling foe, a faintly sweet scent (so faint he would have missed it if he was in his normal state) reached his nose but he ignored it, choosing to focus on the male in his grasp.

“Let go of me!” Vegeta demanded, his struggles eating away at his reserves.

“Now where would the fun in that be? I quite like having you at my mercy, it takes me back to all your ‘punishments’ that I dealt you for being a disobedient little monkey.”

He wasn’t prepared for Vegeta to throw his head back and bash his nose, breaking the bone. Zarbon let him go with a cry of pain and held his face, trying to stop his blood flow.

“Haaaa!”

He looked up to see the Prince fire a massive ki attack straight at him. Too late to stop it, he cried out and it blew up, blinding light covering the surrounding area.

“How’s that for disobedient?” Vegeta panted heavily with his arm extended, his gaze fixed on the spot where Zarbon stood. However, his blood ran cold when he saw Zarbon emerge from the dust cloud still in one piece, looking haggard and severely pissed off.

_ ‘Impossible! I’d put all my energy into that attack and he’s barely injured!’ _

Vegeta felt his heart begin to race, trepidation wracking his frame at the possibility that his winning streak was about to come to an abrupt end.

“That does it! I’m done playing games with you monkey boy! It’s time to end this once and for all!” He snarled, his gaze downright murderous towards Vegeta. He flies forward and punches him right in his cheek, blood flying out of the Prince’s mouth. 

Zarbon grabs him from behind and flies up as high as he can before turning around and charging full speed towards the surface. He ignores Vegeta’s cries and a short distance away from impact, he applies the brakes and lets go of his foe at the same time, sending him crashing into the body of water below him.

He stayed above and kept his gaze intently on the lake below him. A moment later he chuckles lightly before bursting into full blown laughter.

“I’d warned you Vegeta, that you could never defeat me! And now you’ve paid the ultimate price!” He said, grinning deviously. He took a deep breath and focused, turning back into his normal state.

“Well, it looks like I’m done here. I’d best go report back to Lord Frieza, he will be most pleased.” Zarbon turned to where he hoped Frieza’s ship was and flew off, his smug smile never leaving his handsome face.

* * *

Bulma and Gohan remained in the Capsule house during the tussle between the two warriors, with the little boy giving her regular updates on the fight. She can’t help but grow increasingly worried as the young fighter told her that Vegeta isn’t faring well against his opponent.

“Holy cow...unbelievable.” Gohan whispered, his face paler than usual and his eyes wide.

“Gohan? What is it? Did something happen?” She felt dread settle in the pit of her stomach but was hoping that he didn’t confirm her fears.

“Vegeta...he’s been defeated. I can’t sense his energy anymore.” He relayed, his shock still present on his face.

Bulma felt her heart falter at those words.  _ ‘No...there’s no way he’s…’ _

It couldn’t be possible! He’d taken out two of Frieza’s soldiers without breaking a sweat! There was no way he’d been defeated! No way, she refused to believe it!

A knock at the door disrupted her musings. Gohan looked over at her and smiled brightly.

“It’s Krillin! He made it back!” He rushed to the door and opened it, revealing the short warrior standing with a smile on his face.

“Hey there squirt!” The monk greeted jovially.

“Hey Krillin! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Gohan replied.

Krillin looked over and his smile widened when he saw his longtime friend standing by the couch, looking completely unharmed. “Bulma!”

“Hey there Krillin! Don’t just stand there, come on in.” Bulma waved him in, a genuine grin on her lips. As soon as he was close enough, she bent down slightly and gave him a hug. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Likewise Bulma.” He said, returning her hug. He pulled back slightly and looked her over, needing to make sure she was okay. “We were all so worried about you, thinking Vegeta was going to hurt you. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine Krillin, I promise.”

“That’s good.” He breathed out, letting go of her. “I’m just grateful you’re alive and unharmed.”

The heiress shrugged lightly. “He was a complete jackass but he never touched me. I’m all good.”

Well, he didn’t touch her in the way they were thinking, that’s for sure. But they didn’t need to know that.

“Speaking of Vegeta, did you feel his energy Krillin?” Gohan asked

“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it. On the way back from Guru’s, I felt his energy drop in his fight against that Zarbon guy then the next thing I knew, it vanished.”

“Are you two absolutely sure that it’s...that he’s…” Bulma asked, not wanting to say the words.

“I’m positive Bulma. He’s gone! He won’t be able to keep you against your will anymore. You can finally relax now.” Krillin said assuringly. Of course, he assumed she was asking because she wanted to know if her kidnapper was gone. He turned around, not seeing the slight sadness in her face.

“All I can say is good riddance. Vegeta was completely rotten to the core. He got his comeuppance.” Krillin remarked.

The young genius felt a flash of anger at Krillin’s words but  **just barely** managed to hold her tongue.

_ ‘They don’t know what I do about Vegeta and his life so I shouldn’t really be mad at his words. Even in the shower, I’d acknowledged that the others weren’t going to be as forgiving towards him. As far as he knows, Vegeta was an evil, selfish prick who got his dues.’ _

“Krillin,” Gohan reprimanded, “I know that Vegeta was a bad person but I think he could’ve been useful in our fight against Frieza.”

“Are you listening to yourself Gohan? This is Vegeta we’re talking about! He would sooner kill all of us than help us against Frieza!”

“I’m just saying, we could have formed a temporary truce until my dad showed up, since it seemed like he was going against Frieza as well. Think about it. He was stronger than the both of us combined. If he’d somehow agreed to work with my dad, they probably would have defeated Frieza.” The young Saiyan tried to reason.

“And then when they’ve managed to defeat him, he’d turn on us the first chance he gets and take the dragon balls for himself. I get what you’re trying to say Gohan but it just would’ve been too risky to take that chance.”

Gohan sighed minutely, not having an argument to those words.

_ ‘Gotta give him points for trying.’  _ Bulma mused. 

She shook her head and looked over at her older friend. “So, how did it go at Guru’s?”

“Huh? Oh, right! Guru was extremely helpful, he’d explained to me how the dragon balls work on this planet. That they grant three wishes and there’s a password needed to use them.”

“Yeah, I know that. The elder from the village we were at told me about that. He’d said that when we’re ready to make our wish, we should go back to their village and he’ll give us the password.” Bulma said.

“That’s great! Oh and another thing, he’d managed to unlock my hidden powers and now, I feel stronger than ever!” He exclaimed.

“Whoa, no way.” Gohan whispered. Now that he focused, he could actually feel the difference in his power level. It was enormous! How had he missed it the first time?

Bulma blinked as she suddenly remembered something. “By the way Krillin, I spoke to my dad not so long ago. He said that Goku is on the way. According to him, he should be here in a couple of days.”

His eyes brightened. “Really?! That’s great! Perfect, with Goku here we’ll be able to get things done in a snap!”

_ ‘I’m not so sure about that.’  _ Bulma thought to herself, hating her doubting her oldest friend but unable to help it. Knowing what she knew about Frieza, she wasn’t taking anything lightly.

“Now, while this power up is really cool, it’s still not enough to defeat Frieza and his posse. Which is why I need you to come with me Gohan so we can have him unlock your powers too. While our powers won’t be enough to stop Frieza, they should be enough for us to cause a big enough distraction to get them back from him and hightail it out of there without getting caught.”

Krillin turned to his other friend. “Bulma, you need to stay here and wait for us to come back. Now that Goku’s on the way and Vegeta’s gone, we need all the strength we can get so we can defeat Frieza.” He said, his face serious.

“So you want to leave me here all by myself?” She raised an eyebrow at the two of them.

The monk shrugged lightly. “It’s only until we can unlock Gohan’s power and get the other dragon ball from Guru. I promise we’ll be back as soon as we can.”

She huffed and crossed her arms. “Fine, whatever. I’ll be here then.”

“Thanks Bulma! Let’s get going kid.”

“See you soon Bulma!” Gohan yelled as they ran out the cave.

“Be careful you guys!” She yelled after them.

Once she was sure they were gone, she dashed to the bedroom and tore off her robe. She donned new undergarments and put on her old yellow jumpsuit, not deemed to waste time on searching for a new outfit. Bulma grabbed her capsule case out of her backpack and sprinted outside, decapsulating her pink air bike. She got on and sped to where the fight had taken place, according to Gohan’s rough estimates.

Like all scientists, Bulma needed to see something in order to believe it. She couldn’t believe that Vegeta was dead until she could see the evidence for herself.

_ ‘I refuse to believe that he’s gone, not when he still has to get his revenge against Frieza! He’s too willful to die without finishing his tormentor first.’ _

Bulma wasn’t stupid, she knew that Vegeta was not a saint, not in the slightest. He’s murdered millions, maybe billions, of innocent people and destroyed countless planets. He was practically drowning in the ocean made up of the blood of all his victims. When everyone saw him they saw a monster that deserved to die for all his sins and they weren’t exactly off the mark.

_ ‘And here I am, risking my safety going to make sure that he isn’t dead instead of staying in the comfort of the house, thinking about how I’m free of him. Can anyone say Stockholm Syndrome?’  _ She thought wryly.

But unlike everyone else, Bulma had seen the scars on his back that didn’t come from fighting, rather from severe punishment. She’d seen that he had respect for those who respected him, even if they were weaker than him, like that doctor on Planet Frieza. Most of all, she knew the story of his life from his childhood to now, thanks to that pink bastard. 

The heiress knew that everything she’s listed doesn’t excuse any of his past actions against others but she couldn’t help but think that...maybe if he hadn’t had his life ripped away from him at such a young age, he may have turned out to be a bit different. 

Of course, she could be spouting a bunch of bull but after seeing the slight hesitation to kill in that village and being told about his internal conflict, she had faith that there was more than a slight hope that he could be better than his tormentors. She was positive that if Goku had been present to see what she had seen, he would agree with her one hundred percent.

So was she crazy for caring what happened to Vegeta? Definitely. But she was Bulma fucking Briefs. She’d never lived her life playing it safe anyway and she sure as hell wasn’t about to start now.

Bulma looked around, seeing the broken rock formations and craters and knew she was getting close. She slowed down a bit and scanned the area, looking for any sign of Vegeta. She drove around, her eyes taking in every little detail.

“Whoa. They really went for it when they fought. This place is a mess.” She mused out loud.

Something in her peripheral caught her attention and she turned her head to see a lone figure lying in the distance next to the bank of the lake. Taking a chance, she rode closer to the prone figure.

“Oh my gosh.” She gasped. She sped up when she recognised the spikey hair and dashed to his side.

_ ‘Please be okay, please be okay.’  _ She repeated over and over.

Once she was close enough she got off her bike and encapsulated it, running to his side. Bulma dropped to her knees and looked him over. He looked absolutely dreadful, and that was just his back. She couldn’t imagine how his front looked. “Vegeta? Can you hear me?”

He didn’t move a muscle.

Bulma noticed that he was wet, which means he’d just managed to pull himself out of the water before passing out. She put her fingers against his neck, searching for a pulse.

She couldn’t find one.

“No no no.” She whispered, her hands starting to shake. She ignored the burn in her eyes and tried again, putting her head against his back trying to listen for a heartbeat. 

“Come on Vegeta. Don’t you die on me.” She whispered around the small lump in her throat. 

It was faint...so faint she wouldn’t have felt it if she wasn’t paying close attention, but it was there. She felt a weak pulse in his neck. It wasn’t much but it was enough.

“I can’t relax now. I need to get you back to the Capsule house. I’ve got a fully equipped first aid kit there. I’ll patch you up in no time.” She promised.

She couldn’t use her air bike this time. She needed him to be stable while she took him back to the house.

_ ‘Good thing I brought my case with the aircar.’ _

Bulma tentatively reached out and paused before she stroked his hair, trying to comfort him as best as she could. It was so much softer than she thought it would be, a stark contrast to his stony exterior.

“Well well well. What have we here?”

Too late her hackles rose on her arms, her hand frozen in Vegeta’s hair. The heiress looked back sharply to see a tall handsome man with light bluish green skin and emerald hair in a braid, standing behind them with a charming smile on his face. But...something about him seemed off.

She was paralysed, she couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. 

“Aren’t you a beauty? And here he had me fooled, implying you were dead. I’m so glad I was wrong.” His smile widened, showing off a set of pearly white teeth. He really was a sight to behold, except…

His gold eyes were beautiful but cold, hollow. She felt butterflies forming in her stomach, and not the good kind.

She gulped audibly and forced herself to speak. “Who are you?” She spoke, trying to put strength in her voice.

He bowed slightly, keeping his eyes on her the whole time. “I am Lord Zarbon, at your service my lady.”

The heiress felt her blood turn to ice immediately.

_ Zarbon. _

“I know you. You’re the one who did this to him!” Bulma accused, her heart racing out of control. She was in trouble, a world of trouble.

“Indeed. And you’re the woman Vegeta arrived with to this planet. Lord Frieza will be most pleased to realise that you’re both alive after all.”

The heiress felt the blood drain from her face, her palms starting to sweat. This couldn’t be happening. 

“That’s only if I let you take me to him which, surprise surprise, I won’t! I’m not going anywhere with you! And you’re not taking Vegeta anywhere!” She yelled, her fear driving her bravery.

“Quite defensive of the Prince, aren’t we? This is a truly intriguing turn of events. Frieza will definitely want to hear about this.”

“Fuck you!”

Bulma squeaked when Zarbon put his face in front of hers, his expression chilling her to the bone.

“Listen here little girl. That monkey may allow you to address him anyway you want, but that’s not going to fly with me.” He ran a finger down her cheek, his skin cold to the touch. “ I suggest you watch your tongue since I’d hate to have to mar something so beautiful. Understand?”

She could do nothing but nod, her body shaking slightly. His words were so icky and wrong, they made her feel dirty. His touch had disturbed her the most. He was as cold as a reptile. He was figuratively and literally cold blooded.

With Vegeta, she’d been afraid of him in the beginning but that fear slowly faded away. She’d never minced her words with him and he usually never minded. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it when she yelled at him, they could verbally spar with each other.

With this guy, she’d be lucky if she was still breathing if she tried that stunt more than once.

“Now then,” he got up, his face contorted in an evil smirk. “It’s time for us to go. Lord Frieza is waiting for us.”

_ ‘No way, death threats or not, I’m not letting him take us! I’ll get us out of here one way or another!’ _

Before she could do anything to try and get them away from this monster, however, he moved faster than her eyes could follow and hit her on the back of her neck, her eyes bulging before she fell to the ground. Her eyes landed on Vegeta, her vision quickly starting to fade.

_ ‘I hope that when we arrive, nothing will happen and that we’ll be okay. I’ll get us out Vegeta, count on it.’ _

That was her final thought before her world went dark.

Zarbon looked at the unconscious woman, looking over her features. She truly was a beauty. Maybe he could convince Lord Frieza to let him keep her once her usefulness to him expires. It wouldn’t be a mission. She’d resist in the beginning but eventually she would submit to him. They always did, and they always begged for more.

Picking up Vegeta by the arm and throwing the woman over his shoulder, he flew off towards the ship.

_ This should be interesting. _

* * *

**_Meanwhile, somewhere out in space…_ **

Goku was training at one hundred times Earth’s gravity, his body screaming at him to take a break, to relieve himself from the unholy pressure. Unfortunately, his body would have to hold out a little longer. He needed to become stronger so he could help his friends and son.

The younger Saiyan had just finished talking to King Kai. He’d been ecstatic to find out that the guys, and even Piccolo, had been granted the opportunity to train with his former master. He knew that those guys would be stronger than ever once they’ve been wished back.

That wasn’t the only thing King Kai had wanted to talk about.

“I still don’t understand why he doesn’t want me to take on Frieza. Sure, he’s stronger than me but is he really that powerful?” Goku couldn’t help but doubt his teacher’s warnings. Vegeta was easily the strongest adversary he’d ever faced. For there to be someone who’s even stronger and more wicked than him, it was inconceivable. 

“Well if he had to yell at me to not confront him, then this Frieza must be a real force to be reckoned with. I know I promised I wouldn’t take him on but if he poses any sort of threat to those I care about, all bets are off.”

In any case, his mission wasn’t to take on universal tyrants. He was going to rescue his childhood friend from the Saiyan Prince and come to the aid of his best friend and son. They needed him and he wasn’t going to let them down! 

He looked over at the monitor and saw he was getting closer to his destination. Just a couple more days.

He hoped that Gohan and Krillin were holding up alright. He hoped that Bulma was alright and that Vegeta hadn’t harmed her in any way otherwise there would be hell to pay.

Most of all, he hoped that they could stop Vegeta and Frieza and bring their friends back to life. That seemed like an impossible task and really it probably would be.

But he was Son Goku. And he never backed down from a fight for the greater good, no matter the cost.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun, Dun, DUN! That is all. That was a wild one, I must say. And we have another appearance by Goku, yay! What will happen in the next chapter? How will the meeting between Frieza and our dynamic duo turn out? Find out next time!
> 
> Okay so first, exams are coming up AGAIN in about three or four weeks so I’m not going to be around for a while. Granted this chapter took a while to come out but this time I’ll be studying so I’ll be back in a month's time. But the wait will be worth it, I guarantee it.
> 
> Second, I want to thank Efri14 and WolfLuvzDragon for your reviews on the last chapter! Thank you so much you guys! And thank you to the rest of you for favouriting, following, subscribing and kudosing (if that’s not a real word, just roll with it ;D) this story. You all have my thanks, truly.
> 
> As usual, stay happy and healthy everybody! Peace, love and good vibes to you all✨🎆! See you soon!
> 
> RR18❤🌹


	10. Darkness Personified

_Cold._

_Why was it so cold?_

This was the first thing Bulma thought about as she slowly regained consciousness. She was moving relatively fast and it was really breezy. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she took in her surroundings.

_‘Oh, that's why it's so chilly. I’m in the air right now. Vegeta must be leading us to the next dragon ball. He could slow down a little though.’_

She closed her eyes and relaxed, deciding to enjoy the ride while it lasted-

_‘Hold on a second!’_ She thought, her eyes snapping wide open. _‘When the hell did I fall asleep?!'_

Bulma looked down and saw a white cape fluttering under her nose. How in the world had she missed that the first time around?! Vegeta didn’t wear a cape with his armour!

But she knew the man who did.

Her heart began to race as it all started to come back to her. She’d left to find Vegeta and bring him back to the Capsule house. She eventually did find him, looking only a minute away from certain death. Bulma had just been about to get him into an airship before they were apprehended by the one who injured him in the first place. That beast Zarbon. He’d knocked her out and took the both of them, but not before mentioning where he was taking them. Or rather **who** he was taking them to.

Her eyes went lower and, with the occasional shift of the cape, she caught a glimpse of the Saiyan Prince. She’d only seen what his back looked like when she found him. Now she could see his face. He looked absolutely dreadful. He was bleeding out of his nose and mouth, he had a nasty bruise on his cheek, his face was swollen and his armour was damaged.

The heiress’ breaths started to come out in short silent gasps, panic beginning to wash over her. Vegeta was also completely oblivious to the amount of danger they were in. They were about to come face to face with his tormentor, a being Bulma had hoped beyond hope that she’d never have the misfortune of coming across.

_Frieza._

This was bad. Very bad.

Bulma felt their captor slow down a notch. She scanned the image below her and saw people dressed in armour milling about on the ground below them, looking completely relaxed and unbothered. They were obviously Frieza’s lackeys. Seems they had nothing to do since they’ve presumably collected all the dragon balls they could find.

Zarbon started to descend. Bulma just managed to catch sight of the ship when they found themselves inside. This was it. They were in the lion’s den. 

“You there!” Zarbon called out. She heard footsteps coming towards them at a quick pace before they stopped.

“Yes, Lord Zarbon?” An unknown voice said.

“Take the Prince to the infirmary and get him in a chamber now! He doesn’t have much time!” He barked out.

“At once, my Lord! And the woman?” It said, causing her breath to hitch.

“She stays with me. You have your orders, now go!”

In her peripheral vision, she saw a pair of boots and reptilian hands grab hold of Vegeta before going out of sight. Taking a chance, she raised her head and watched a soldier dash down the hall before making a left turn.

Zarbon marched down the walkway. Bulma scanned the area as best as she could, trying to memorise the layout as much as she could, hoping she’ll remember the way to Vegeta once she escaped.

“I know you’re awake my dear. You have been for a while if the violent beating of your heart against my back is any indication.” He said in a smooth voice before coming to a stop.

He moved to place her down, slowly sliding her against him before putting her on her feet. He took her chin between his fingers and made her look up at him. Bulma barely managed to suppress a shiver at the blatant desire in his eyes. 

_‘This guy is a total creep!’_ She thought, gritting her teeth together.

“A word of advice. I noticed you have a bit of a wild temper so if you want to stay in one piece, you’d do best to keep that mouth of yours in check.” He said, his expression serious. Zarbon pulled her behind him, “Now stay there and don’t make a sound.”

As much as she wanted to fight him, Bulma begrudgingly complied. She knew when to pick her battles and knew she couldn’t try to cross him. He was so much stronger than she was, he could end up killing her by accident if she tried to escape. She needed to stay alive so that she could figure out a way to get herself and Vegeta the hell out of dodge.

Zarbon knocked on the door and waited.

“Enter.” A muffled voice said.

The door slid open and Zarbon stepped in with her directly behind him.

“Ah Zarbon, you’ve returned. I trust you’ve succeeded in your mission?” The voice said, much clearer this time. The sound of it made goosebumps break out all over her body, she got instant chills.

“Indeed my Liege. And I came back with something or rather **someone** who I think you’ll be very pleased to see.” Zarbon said, his tone dripping with satisfaction.

_‘Oh Kami, I’m gonna throw up!’_ She yelled internally.

“And who might that be?”

Zarbon roughly pulled her out from behind him and brought her forward. She caught herself before she fell and quickly righted herself. Her gaze flew up and she tensed, her blood turning to ice.

“This is the woman Vegeta was alluded to have killed when he arrived on the planet. I recognised her scent from when I had my little scuffle with Vegeta.” Zarbon explained. She could practically imagine the horrible smirk on his face when he said that.

The being in front of her was shocked for a second before a chilling smile crossed his face. It was him. She was sure of it.

Frieza.

“My, my. How utterly peculiar.” He said, his raspy voice filled with dark fascination. She couldn’t stop herself from shivering when his eyes took her in, his very presence chilling her to the bone. It was unnerving.

He started walking towards her and instinctively she started to backtrack, wanting to get as far away from him as she could. Bulma felt Zarbon push her forward. He did it a bit too hard and she ended up on her hands and knees.

“Zarbon, don’t be so rough.” He reprimanded his right hand mockingly. “You need to be careful with this delicate creature. I’m sure Vegeta wouldn’t appreciate finding her all bruised up.”

The heiress saw his three toed feet stop in front of her and she raised her head to look up at him, his dark red eyes gazing down at her.

“Stand up my dear.”

Bulma stood up on wobbly knees, hating herself for showing weakness but unable to do anything about it. Frieza circled around her, presumably taking her in. She could feel the heaviness of his gaze on her. 

The tyrant stopped in front of her, seemingly satisfied. “Well, I can certainly see why Vegeta took a liking to her. She is quite exotic.”

“Indeed she is, my Lord.” 

Kami, they were talking about her like she was a piece of meat. It made her feel gross.

“Another thing, Lord Frieza. Vegeta was more than a bit ruffled when I had mentioned taking her for myself before our battle. A strange reaction considering she was supposedly dead. And she was very defensive of the prince when I had mentioned bringing him here. It seems that their relationship could transcend beyond the physical aspects.”

The heiress’ shivering worsened when he settled his gaze on her, his eyes sparkling with demented glee after hearing Zarbon’s words. Her stomach felt close to giving out.

Frieza chuckled slightly. “My, how precious. Vegeta managed to find someone who’s willing to put up with him. She has similar features to those two shrimps we encountered earlier. They must all come from the same planet.”

_‘He’s talking about Krillin and Gohan.’_ She mused, panic racing through her.

“Though I must say, it is quite pitiful that he’s chosen someone from such a weak species. But I guess it can’t be helped. Since the Saiyans were destroyed, he’ll settle for weak look-alikes.”

_‘You mean since you destroyed the planet.’_ Bulma thought bitterly.

“And how did you know about that?” The lizard lord asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Fuck! She really needed to get a hold of her tendency to speak before thinking! It was literally going to be the death of her!

Clearly she kept silent for much longer than he liked since he narrowed his eyes at her in warning. “Cat suddenly got your tongue? I suggest you answer me when I’m speaking to you.”

The young genius gulped audibly, trying to steel her nerves. “I overheard one of your soldiers, Dodoria I think it was, tell Vegeta what he said was the truth about the destruction of his planet before he was killed by him.”

“But of course Dodoria did that.” Frieza sneered, his eyes darkening with disgust. “Well at least Vegeta did me a favour and killed that imbecile. He took away the opportunity for me to tell him what really happened myself. I was so looking forward to seeing the fallen expression on his face once I revealed his planet’s true fate.”

How she wished she had the strength to take that bastard on so she could kill him herself! Bulma’s hands clenched into fists and she tried very hard to keep her features blank. Unfortunately, he spotted the flash of anger in her eyes.

“What’s the matter? Does that idea not appeal to you?” The tyrant asked, his tone laced with sarcasm. He snickered at her poor attempt at a blank face. “You must feel quite strongly for my little monkey Prince, yes?”

“He’s not yours.” She said before she could stop herself.

“I beg your pardon?” 

“I said he’s not yours.” She repeated, her voice gaining power as she spoke. “Vegeta doesn’t belong to you, he’s not your property.”

“Oh really? So he’s yours then?” He asked with a mocking smirk.

Screw it. She’d already started, it was too late to stop now. 

“No, of course not. Vegeta isn’t the type to be owned, no matter how hard anyone tries. The more you try to control him, the more determined he is to rebel. I would think that an all powerful tyrant as smart as yourself would know that but apparently not.” She spat out.

Bulma knew from the moment she heard Zarbon’s sharp intake of breath and saw Frieza’s expression go flat, that she’d said too much. But she refused to show cowardice!

The emperor caught her horrified expression before she steeled herself and glared daggers at him. The stench of her fear permeated the room but she stood tall in front of him. She had guts, he’d give her that much.

“Well, now I really understand why Vegeta took a liking to you. You have a temperament identical to his own, a fiery volatility. It’s very intriguing. However…”

Bulma suddenly gagged when, faster than her eyes could follow, the lizard wrapped his tail around her neck and brought her down to meet his eyes, slowly tightening his hold. She pointlessly grabbed it and tried to ease the pressure, to no avail.

“While the royal monkey may tolerate your attitude, I do not find it amusing. Especially not from some slip of a girl who dares to look down on the emperor of the universe!” He yelled.

The heiress choked out a scream when she felt a burning pain radiating from her arm. It felt like knives were slowly being dragged down her arm, her blood flowing in tiny rivulets.

“Address me in such an ill manner again and next time I won’t be so lenient. Do you understand?”

_‘This is his idea of lenient?!’_ She thought, nodding as best as she could.

The heiress screamed when he dug his claws deeper into her arm, the pain was near unbearable.

“I can’t hear you.” He whispered fiercely.

“Yes I understand!” She exclaimed, tears running down her face.

“Splendid.” He said, a malicious smile on his lips. He let her go and she fell on all fours, gasping and coughing for air.

“Zarbon, take her to the infirmary for a patch up and then lock her up when she’s done. We’ll retrieve her once Vegeta wakes up.”

“At once, my Lord.” The handsome warrior bowed. He stepped forward and took Bulma by her good arm and dragged her out the room, Frieza licking her blood from his fingers the last thing she saw before the door slid shut.

* * *

The door to the infirmary slid open and the duo stepped in where a purple being with an elongated head was there to greet them.

“Lord Zarbon, you’re back so soon.” He said, not even looking over at Bulma.

“I have someone else for you here Appule. I need you to tend to this woman quickly and call for me when you’re done.” The warrior explained.

Appule seemed to finally acknowledge her presence, looking her up and down, as if trying to think what was so special about her in the first place.

“She’s a crucial part of Frieza’s... **plans** for Vegeta. Need I say more?” Zarbon said, seeing the unasked question in the medic’s face.

“No my Lord. I completely understand. I’ll see to it right away.” Appule said with a bow.

“Good. I’ll be outside.” With that, he left the room, leaving Bulma alone with a complete stranger.

_‘Not that I care. I’d rather be alone with this guy than be around that creep.’_ She thought wryly. Bulma looked around the room, seeing the layout was very similar to the one on Planet Frieza, only the tech looked slightly more advanced. She turned her head to the left and her eyes widened at the sight before her.

There was an isolation chamber there and a person currently occupying it.

_Vegeta._

“Hello?! Did you hear me?!” Appule yelled out.

Bulma snapped out of her thoughts. “What? What did you say?”

“I said staring at that monkey isn’t going to get him out of there faster! Now sit on the table and we can get this over with! Idiot.” He said glaring at her before turning to gather his tools.

She narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing and sat on the table behind her. If she wasn’t in a world of pain right now, she would’ve ripped him a new one for speaking to her like that, consequences be damned!

The heiress took a deep breath and released a sigh, trying to calm her nerves. She looked over at the isolation chamber again, hearing the steady beep of the heart monitor, watching Vegeta through the glass. He looked much better than before, his wounds were healing nicely. This was the first time she’d seen his features look so relaxed. When he wasn’t scowling he actually looked young and...cute.

_‘Man, I really must be going crazy if I’m describing_ **_Vegeta_ ** _of all people as cute.’_ She mused with a small smile on her face before she quickly shook her head. _‘Focus Bulma! You need to figure out a plan to get the two of you out of here!’_

That wasn’t the only thing she needed to figure out.

When Zarbon had first taken her to Frieza, she’d been too shaken up to pay too much attention to her surroundings. Now that she was more calm, she remembered something. Behind the tyrannical ruler, there had been five dragon balls sitting on the floor in front of a huge window. It really frustrated her that they were so close to them but couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

_‘I know Krillin and Gohan said they wanted to storm the place and cause a big enough distraction to get the dragon balls but it’s too risky. Frieza and Zarbon are already aware of their presence because of their rescue attempt and are going to be on the lookout for them.’_

Zarbon on his own had been a real problem for Vegeta. Now add Frieza into the mix and the situation just seemed that much bleaker.

_‘If I’m being honest with myself, there’s absolutely no way I can get the dragon balls_ **_and_ ** _get us out of here. As much as I have the brains for it, I don’t even have the strength to take on Frieza’s foot soldiers. It’ll have to be one or the other.’_

“Let’s get this done.” Bulma jumped when she heard Appule’s voice. He took her arm and cut off her demolished sleeve, exposing her wound. She winced at the sight, feeling woozy. The sight was sickening. It looked like some hellhound decided to use her arm as a chew toy, blood slowly oozing out.

The medic wrung a cloth in water and wiped her arm down. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Once he was done, he turned around and retrieved a bottle with some type of liquid in it and some cotton balls. He poured the liquid on them and started dabbing on her skin. This time, Bulma couldn’t keep from crying out. It hurt like hell!

“I forgot to mention, this is going to sting quite a bit.” He said in a bored voice

“More like quite a lot.” She mumbled.

“Pitiful weakling.” 

After a few minutes that felt like a few hours, of disinfecting and cleaning her wound he was done. He put on a latex glove and opened a jar that had a blueish-green substance in it. Wary of the stuff, Bulma steeled herself for more unbearable pain when he started applying the salve. She was relieved to find that it had a cool, soothing effect. She could almost feel her skin healing that much faster. 

“What is this stuff?” Bulma asked, her curiosity winning out.

“It’s a salve made with the concentrated ingredients that make up the isolation chamber’s healing liquid. It heals wounds quicker than leaving them to heal naturally. It’s only used to treat small injuries, it won’t work with bigger ones.” Appule answered mechanically.

_‘Wow. Unreal. I need to learn how to make this stuff. It’ll be super useful to the guys when we get home.’_

He wrapped her arm in bandages and took a step back. Apparently he was finished.

“You’ll be fine before an hour has passed.” He said in a detached tone.

Without thinking, her eyes swung over to the chamber again. Appule followed her gaze and chuckled slightly.

“I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you.” 

Bulma looked over to see a sly smirk on his face. “His injuries are too great. He may not even wake up at all, no matter how long he sits in there. So sorry.”

He then walked over to the door to call her captor. She looked back at the chamber, feeling her heart constrict when she ran over that toad’s words.

_‘That’s not true. You’re going to make it out of here alive and send these bastards to hell where they belong.’_

“Are you ready, my beauty?” 

_‘Starting with him.’_ Bulma thought as she watched Zarbon waltz up to her. Before she could move, he grabbed her good arm and dragged her out the infirmary, ignoring her sounds of displeasure. They walked down the hall before coming to a stop in front of another door. 

“Here we are. Your home away from home.” He said as he punched in a code and pushed her in the dark room.

“Where the hell am I?!” She demanded

“Oh, she’s got her fight back. That’s good. I was starting to worry that you’d given up so soon”, he said with a smirk. “As for where you are, this is your lover’s old room. I figured it would be nice for you to wait here until he wakes up, then the real fun can begin.”

The warrior stepped closer to her. Bulma stood her ground, unwilling to back down, and held his gaze. He smiled at the ferocity in her eyes.

“You truly are something special. I do hope Frieza decides to spare you when it’s all over, then I can take proper care of you.” He said as he ran a finger down her cheek. His touch made her skin crawl.

_‘How could a guy as attractive as him be so vile?’_ The way he spoke to her, touched her. He reminded her of dark chocolate laced with an undetectable poison. The intention to kill was there, but the victim wouldn’t know because they’re too busy being seduced by what’s on the surface. And they wouldn’t know until it was too late.

“And don’t try anything funny. There’ll be a guard outside watching the door intently. See you soon.” Zarbon flashed her a sinister grin before leaving the room. Outside, he signalled for a soldier walking by.

"Yes my Lord?" He asked.

"Guard the door and make sure the girl doesn't escape. I'll come for her later." Zarbon explained.

"Of course, sire." He bowed.

"Good." Zarbon left him alone, feeling very satisfied. Everything was going extremely well if he said so himself.

* * *

“Fucking leech.” She sneered at the closed door.

The heiress sighed and looked around the room. It was still too dark to see. She went around and felt the wall for a light switch, flipping it when she found it. She hissed at the bright lights before adjusting and taking in her surroundings.

“Oh...wow.”

Whatever she’d been expecting, this certainly wasn’t it. It wasn’t lavish but it wasn’t decrepit either. It looked like a showroom at a house for sale. It had a single bed, a wardrobe and another door which she presumed led to a bathroom. The room was cold, empty.

_‘Much like the monster who owns this ship.’_

Bulma walked over to the bed and sat down, taking the down time to think about recent events. She remembered what Vegeta said to her about Frieza when they’d stopped at that first planet.

**_Flashback_ **

**_“I remember you speaking about Frieza before we left Earth. At first I assumed it was just the name of the planet. You’re obviously talking about an actual being. So, who is Frieza”_ **

**_They stopped in front of a door and the Prince turned to face her, his face cold and expressionless. “Frieza is the emperor of the universe. A tyrant known across the galaxies. And a creature you better hope you never crossed paths with.”_ **

**_End flashback_ **

Understatement of the century right there. She’d known from what he and Malaka had told her that he was a monster but nothing could have prepared her for what she’d encountered. His voice alone had been enough to shake her up more than a little bit. When she first laid her eyes on him, while he wasn’t physically imposing because of his stature, his eyes had a knowing glint in them. They spoke of a being who knew he was powerful and that no one could stand in his way. He had an intimidating aura that had radiated with evil. 

While Vegeta had been created in the darkness, Frieza **was** the darkness, determined to crush any bit of light in his path with a vicious grin on his face. She winced as her mind went back to her ‘small’ punishment he had given her for speaking out of turn. That was one of the worst things that had ever happened to her. It had been unspeakably painful. For as long as she lived, she’d never ever forget that moment.

_‘And Vegeta had to live with that beast for almost two decades, going through much worse than what I’d experienced.’_

Now he was back in his prison, waiting to be presented to his master on a silver platter and that this time, he wouldn’t make it out alive.

Her eyes took on a determined look. 

_'Not on my watch.'_

She stood up and took in the room more carefully, trying to find a weak spot. She didn't bother trying the door because it was pointless. It was her last option. She wouldn't get very far without getting caught. Her only option was to find a way to the infirmary and bust Vegeta out and make and escape. She knew it was risky considering he was still healing but something told her that he wouldn't want to die at the hands of his lifelong tormentor without at least putting up the fight of his life.

"Dammit. There's nothing here." She said, thoroughly searching the room. Bulma marched towards the other door and went inside, confirming her guess of it being a bathroom. It had a shower, a sink and something that looked like a toilet. She looked around, trying to find anything. 

"Ah hah!" Above the sink was what looked like a ventilator with a grid. Hoping it was sturdy, she climbed onto the basin and looked through it. From what she could see, it looked big enough for her to crawl through. She just needed to loosen the screws and she was home free.

Jumping down the basin, Bulma patted her pockets and released a relieved breath when she found her capsule case was still with her. She closed the door and pressed the button, throwing it to the floor. The capsule burst open and produced a toolbox. She took out a screwdriver and got back on the basin.

"This is almost too easy to the point of being anti climactic. Then again, they have no clue that I'm not a girl who only knows how to spread them wide." The young genius said with a cocky smile.

When the last screw was out, she removed the grid and looked inside, not able to see to the back. It was dark, really dark. She got back down and got a small, powerful flashlight from the box, encapsulating it when she was done.

Bulma climbed back up and turned on the light, taking in the dusty space. "Man I really hope there aren't any spiders or rats in here."

She hooked the light behind her ear, climbed into the vent and began her journey. 

* * *

"I take back what I said. This isn't easy. Not one bit." She grumbled out.

For almost half an hour, Bulma had been crawling through the vent system trying to find the infirmary. She tried using her memory of the walkway layout but failed to think about how the vents path would probably be different. Twice she thought she found it, once she almost lost her shit when she found herself in the throne room. For once, the gods were on her side since Frieza hadn’t been paying attention so she’d slid past as quietly as a church mouse.

Now here she was, dirty, sweaty and frustrated as hell.

She took a left turn and came to a halt when she heard voices. She strained her ears and listened. It sounded like Zarbon's voice and he was speaking to...Appule! Could it be? Did she make it?

Bulma followed the voices and when she saw a light ahead, she turned off her flashlight. Creeping forward, she almost squealed with happiness when she found herself in front of the infirmary. Yes! She made it! Now the question was, how was she going to get out of this one?

"How much longer is he going to be in there?" She looked down to see Zarbon and Appule looking at Vegeta in the chamber.

"I'm not sure sire. His injuries were too great but he should recover soon."

"You better do all you can to make sure he wakes up. Otherwise Frieza will have both our heads."

Bulma narrowed her eyes after hearing that. Was that...a small tremor she picked up in his voice? Was he afraid of his precious master? 

_'Seems somebody isn't as chummy with Frieza as he led me to believe.'_ She observed with a smirk.

"I'll report to you as soon as he awakens my Lord."

"Excellent." Zarbon then swaggered out the room. 

Appule went back to Vegeta, working the knobs on the machine. He took a step back, arms akimbo.

"That ought to keep you for a while. Tell you what, I think I'm going to take a little break."

_'Yes, do that! Take all the time you need!'_ Bulma nodded vigorously. This was the chance she needed to get them out.

"Just promise you'll sit tight until I get back. I wouldn't want you to wander off and get hurt." He said, sarcasm laced in his voice.

Suddenly, the Prince's eyes burst open, looking straight at the medic, a bright light emitting from within the chamber.

"What?!" He cried out

_'Holy shit!'_ Bulma's eyes flew wide open before she backtracked as fast as she could, knowing what was about to happen. A moment later, a huge explosion rocked the ship. She screamed, putting her arms on her head. When everything settled, she moved back to the front, seeing the grid was now loose.

"They just keep underestimating the power of the Saiyan Prince." She smiled when she heard that. He was alive! Thank goodness! 

Not wanting to waste another second, she gathered her strength and pushed the grid once, loosening it more before giving another mighty push, throwing it to the ground.

"What the...Bulma?!" She turned her head to see Vegeta standing next to the demolished machine, his expression bewildered

"The one and only." She said with a smile. She crawled forward, determined to get out of that cramped space. 

"Can you help me out here-ahh!" She screamed when she fell out, closing her eyes and bracing for impact. 

It never came. 

She opened her eyes to see Vegeta, his face in its usual scowl. "Imbecile! What the hell are you doing here?! Do you have a death wish?!"

The heiress blinked at him before launching herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, ignoring how he tensed at the action. "Thank Kami you're alright! They kept saying you wouldn't make it. I nearly lost hope."

Vegeta staggered back, almost dropping her. He couldn't believe his ears. He had so many questions. How did she get here? **Why** was she here? Why had she ignored his order to stay in the house? And most importantly, why did she seem so damned happy to see him?!

The Prince looked to the door when he felt two large ki's approaching. Frieza and Zarbon. The questions would have to wait, it was time to leave. He peeled her off of him and threw her over his shoulder, ignoring her protests. He held out his hand and fired a massive blast at the wall, rocking the ship with a bigger explosion than before. He kicked the door down and ran down the hall, hiding behind a small opening.

"Put me down, you big oaf!" Bulma yelled, hitting his back.

"Quiet woman!" He said but put her down none too gently. He stuck his head out and snickered when he saw Zarbon flying around looking for him, Frieza right behind him. Perfect! This was his chance! He stepped out from his cover.

"Hey! Are you looking for someone?!" He yelled out to them before firing a blast at a pipe, damaging the ship and filling the hallway with smoke. He quickly grabbed Bulma and flew down the opposite end of the walkway, blasting faceless warriors on the way. 

"We need to get to the throne room! That's where the dragon balls are!" Bulma yelled out.

"Where did you think I was going, foolish woman?!" 

A moment later they arrived, the dragon balls sitting unguarded. He set Bulma down.

"Frieza you fool! You were so confident no one could take them from you. I wish I could see your reaction when you find them gone!" Vegeta said, his heart racing with excitement. He didn’t notice Bulma rolling her eyes with a smile at his little speech.

"He's over here!" A voice called out. They looked over to see more soldiers coming towards them. Vegeta fired a blast at them, killing them effortlessly. He turned and fired a ki blast at the window. 

Bulma heard more voices coming down the hall. Quickly she got out her Capsule case and threw one up, catching a machine gun in her hands. She stepped out and fired, her eyes widening when the bullets ricocheted off of them. She heard a hissing noise and saw a broken panel close to the oncoming fighters, gas coming out from the pipes behind it. 

"Eat this!" She aimed and fired, the sparks causing an explosion, throwing them all back. She jumped back in the room to dodge the debris.

"Woman! Let's go!" She heard Vegeta yell behind her. 

She encapsulated her gun and ran towards him. The Prince grabbed her, pulled her to his side and sped out the window.

* * *

Frieza and Zarbon dashed back to the throne room, only to find the dragon balls had vanished.

"No! That impudent monkey took my dragon balls!" Frieza cried out, his tail lashing violently behind him. Could this get any worse?!

"Lord Frieza! Lord Zarbon!" A voice called out. A soldier ran in and instantly dropped to his knees with his head bowed.

"What is it?" Zarbon demanded.

"The girl my Lords. She's...she's gone." He said, his voice quivering.

"What?! What do you mean she's gone?! I told you to keep an eye on her!" Zarbon yelled, his expression deadly.

The poor man started shaking in his place, fear running through him. "I was, my Liege! I stood in front of the door the whole time. When the explosions started, I went in to check on her and found she wasn't in the main room. 

I went to the bathroom and found that she wasn't there too, only to see the ventilator grid had been removed. She must've crawled through and escaped through there. How she managed to do it, I'm not sure. Please forgive me for my failure!"

Before he could say another word, his eyes widened in shock and a second later, his head fell off his shoulders. Zarbon and a few spectators turned to see Frieza with his arm extended, a purple ki blade radiating around his fingers. It disappeared and he turned to face his quivering subordinates.

"Remove this worthless piece of garbage from my sight. And clean up the mess! I don't need his blood staining my floors. And you." Zarbon gulped when Frieza turned his murderous gaze on his, his expression eerily calm. "You either come back with Vegeta, the girl and my dragon balls all at once...or you don't come back at all. Do you understand?"

"Yes my Lord." Zarbon choked out.

"Go." He whispered.

The elegant warrior immediately flew out the window, flying a short distance away from the ship. He stopped and looked around the area.

"I know they’re around here somewhere. They couldn't have gotten very far." He mumbled. Zarbon looked to the side and flew in that direction, determined to find them and complete his mission.

He never noticed the ripples in the water below him before they vanished completely.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! And I bring to you all another chapter. Yay! 
> 
> A lot happened in this chapter, like a lot. I even came up with a healing gel in here, like what! But I'm happy with how it turned out. Hopefully it was worth the long wait lol.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! As always, thank you to Nielsen, Anotherfan101 and Jesssaiyan for your reviews on the last chapter. You guys rock!
> 
> Stay happy and healthy everyone. I'll see you soon.
> 
> RR18❤🌹


	11. Decisions

“Okay...I think that’s all of them.” Bulma mused aloud. Vegeta said nothing, merely counting the balls for himself making sure they were all accounted for.

After they’d barely managed to dodge Frieza’s soldiers by diving into the lake below them, they’d swam a little farther out just to be sure they’d successfully gotten the slip on their pursuers. A while later, they had surfaced, out of breath but extremely satisfied with their small victory. Once they’d gotten out of the water, Bulma had asked Vegeta to use the dragon radar to help them locate the balls. 

There had just been one problem…

**_Flashback_ **

_“Now we can use the radar to help us find the balls. Take it out and lead the way Vegeta!” Bulma exclaimed with a bright smile._

_Raising his eyebrow at her unusual cheeriness, he reached into his armour and took out the little gizmo. Or rather, what was left of it._

_“My radar! What the hell did you do to it?!” She yelled, snatching it out of his hands._

_Vegeta scoffed, looking at her like she was a clueless child. “I got beaten to an inch of my life by Zarbon and it obviously got destroyed in the process. I’m surprised your genius brain didn’t take that possibility into consideration.”_

_“Excuse me?! Why I ought to-!” She started, her fists clenched before she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. “You know what? We don’t have time for this. Do you at least know in which general direction you threw them?”_

_He merely gave her a look that said ‘don’t be stupid’ and crossed his arms._

_“Well then let’s go! Or do you plan to keep staring at me the whole time?!” She said, stomping her foot._

_The Prince rolled his eyes, not deemed to comment on her childish act. He tossed her over his shoulder and flew towards the dragon balls._

_“Vegeta put me down! This is not how you carry a lady!” Bulma screamed through the wind._

_He stopped midair, shrugging nonchalantly. “Alright. Just don’t complain when you end up a bloody mess on the ground.”_

_Vegeta waited for her to speak, smirking when she kept silent. Oh, she didn’t like that. He could practically feel the holes she was burning into his back with her eyes._

_“That’s what I thought.” He said, his tone dripping with satisfaction._

_“Fucking smartass.” The heiress mumbled._

_“I heard that.”_

_With that, he flew off towards their destination._

**_End Flashback_ **

And now they stood in front of the magical orbs, making sure they were all there. Kami knows they needed a break after all they’ve been through.

“Yep, there’s definitely five balls here. I just wish I had the proper storage capsules so we could take them back to the house. I’m not too comfortable leaving them out in the open like this.” Bulma said.

She looked around, looking for any place to hide them in…

“Ah! We can put them in that little opening.” She said, pointing at a small crevice. 

They moved the dragon balls to their hiding spot and took a step back, making sure they looked well hidden.

“Well, that ought to do it.” Bulma said with a smile. “Now-”

“Now,” Vegeta cut her off sharply, “I want answers. You didn’t answer my question that I asked you before.”

She raised an eyebrow, her gaze questioning.

“Why were you on Frieza’s ship?” He asked with a heavy frown.

“What? What kind of a question is that?” She said with a frown of her own.

“Just answer me woman!”

Bulma took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Of course he wanted to know why she was on that tyrant’s ship. But he didn’t have to yell at her and demand things like she was his servant!

“For the same reason you were. I was captured by Zarbon along with you.” She said in a reasonable tone. Though how she managed to stay cool, she wasn’t sure.

“And how did Pretty Boy manage to find you? I bet, in their excitement, your little idiot friends unknowingly led him to the hideout in a pathetic attempt to save you and take my dragon ball so you can attempt to wish your other pitiful friends back!”

That was it! Screw being calm! No one insulted her friends and got away with it. “First of all, how did you even find out they were here?! And secondly, of course they would try to rescue me and wish our friends back! In case you forgot _your Highness_ , you forced me to come to this planet with you by threatening the lives of our friends AND-” she poked him in the chest with her finger, “our other friends are dead because of your little green freaks and that big brute so naturally, we’d want to wish them back!”

Vegeta scoffed, swiping her hand off his chest. “I’m not stupid woman. After I discovered how intelligent you are, I knew you would make some sorry attempt to take the dragon balls from me and wish your little gang back once we arrived on Namek. Unfortunately for you pitiful lot, that isn't going to happen. But that’s all besides the point. Now answer the damn question, did they lead him to you?!”

“No of course not! They would’ve sensed his energy if he was close!”

“Then how did he find you?”

The heiress hesitated, trying to find an excuse to give him. She couldn’t tell him she tried to save him. He’d blow her intentions **way** out of proportion and they didn’t have the time to discuss her failed rescue attempt. Though with the way he was acting towards her, she had a good mind to just blurt it all out and tell him to go to hell, screw the consequences!

“Woman.” He said in an impatient growl.

“Wh-Why do you even care so much about how he found me?!” She stuttered.

“It’s not a matter of me caring. It’s a matter of you disobeying my orders again! Only this time, it could’ve had dire results. So I’ll ask you one more time. How did he find you?”

Damn it. She was trapped with no way out.

_‘Whatever. If he wants to know so bad I’ll tell him.’_

Bulma opened her mouth to speak, only someone else beat her to it.

“Oh, a lover’s quarrel. How very unlike you Vegeta.” A familiar voice said in a mocking tone.

Both of them turned towards the source of the voice, unsurprised to see Zarbon landing elegantly on one leg in front of them, flicking his emerald braid over his shoulder with a smirk on his face.

“Zarbon. How good to see you. Tell me, how did Frieza like his little present? He wasn’t too hard on you was he?” Vegeta said sarcastically.

“Actually he liked it very much.” His smirk widened at Vegeta’s confused expression. “So much so that he wants me to bring you, the girl and the dragon balls back so he can...chat with the both of you.”

Without thinking, Vegeta moved to stand in front of Bulma, shielding her from his gaze. “The only way I’m going back to Frieza is if you bring me to him dead.”

“I can easily arrange that Vegeta. Although, close to dead would be more appropriate. It would be just like old times, wouldn’t you say? And think, your little companion can join in on the fun seeing as Frieza was absolutely taken by her the first time.” He looked at Bulma over Vegeta’s shoulder. “By the way, how’s your arm doing love? You lost quite a bit of blood before.”

The Prince’s tail bristled slightly after hearing that. He turned his head and, for the first time, noticed the bandage on her right arm. It travelled from her wrist all the way up to her elbow. His fists clenched at the sight, anger washing through him in waves. He wanted to kill something, and the succubus before him was the pick of the day.

“So then? Are you going to make this easy and cooperate? Or will we have to do this the hard way?” The green warrior said.

“Woman. Head back to the house, right now. I’ll take care of this.” Vegeta ordered in a calm tone.

Bulma’s eyes widened, her heart lurching slightly. “Are you insane? He almost killed you the first time!”

The Prince groaned in frustration, ignoring Zarbon’s amused expression. He’d wipe it off of him soon enough. “For once, can you just do as I say without question?”

“But-”

“Bulma.”

She paused, looking in his eyes as he faced her again. He’d said her name again. She knew he only did that when he was serious. His eyes conveyed that seriousness...and something else. Bulma hesitated for a second before sighing in defeat.

“Okay, I’ll go. But you better come back in one piece otherwise I’ll wish you back to life and kill you myself. You got that?”

Vegeta bit his cheek to hide his smirk and nodded once.

 _‘Such a fiery spirit.’_ He thought to himself.

She took out her hover bike capsule and pressed the button. Once it appeared, she quickly boarded and took off, not looking back once.

_‘Why would he try and fight that creep on his own after what happened last time?! He’s gonna get himself killed!’_

As much as she wanted to turn around, she carried on in she presumed was the direction of the house. Obviously she could find a place to hide and watch the battle from afar but something was holding her back.

_‘It was his eyes. They’d shown me how serious he was but I spotted something else. If I didn’t know any better I‘d say I spotted a hint of...concern. For me. But why? That doesn’t make any sense. He only cares about himself...doesn’t he?’_

Whatever the case may be, she would wait in the capsule house for his return. She could only hope that he would kill that bastard, just so he isn’t taken back to Frieza.

* * *

"How in the world did she conjure up that vehicle?" Zarbon looked on stunned as Bulma sped away from the battlefield. It had just appeared out of nowhere!

"What? You're not going to try and go after her?"

Zarbon shrugged. "The girl won't get very far. I'll take care of you first and then I'll find her afterwards. What I want to know is how she made a vehicle pop out of thin air."

"She invented that little trick. Encapsulating objects of any size and taking them with you anywhere you go." Vegeta explained.

Zarbon looked stunned for a second before smiling deviously. "Well, that certainly explains how she managed to escape unnoticed. She's quite resourceful. And thanks to your big mouth, she'll be an incredible addition to our science division."

Vegeta smirked right back. "That's where you're wrong Zarbon. I told you because I'm certain you won't tell your lord and saviour Frieza."

"And what makes you so sure? I hold no loyalties to you monkey boy. I could go and tell Lord Frieza right now if I wanted to."

Vegeta chuckled wickedly. "I'm well aware. That's why I'm going to kill you first. You already managed to capture us before. You won't get the same opportunity again."

"It's funny you should say that. Your little friend said something very similar to me before I took you both in." Amused at the confused expression on Vegeta's face, he elaborated. "You should have seen her. She was bent over your unconscious form, looking more than a bit distraught and near tears at the pitiful sight of you. The poor thing looked frightened for your life." He said in mock worry.

Vegeta's expression went blank, masking the shock he felt at those words. She went to him after his fight? And she was worried that he would die? Why?! What did she have to gain from being worried about him?! If anything, that was her chance to gather the rest of the dragon balls with her useless friends and wish her other useless friends back to life. As far as he was concerned, she didn't give a damn about him and the feeling was mutual!

"But of course, I shouldn't have known you won't go for a meek woman. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she had a fighter's spirit. She was so defensive of you when I mentioned bringing you in to see Frieza. I must say Vegeta, I am impressed that you managed to find someone who was willing to put up with you and has so much fire in them. However, it was that same fire that got her in trouble with Frieza." 

The Prince's tail unconsciously tightened around his waist but he fought to keep his face blank. 

"Her sharp tongue and short temper resulted in her almost losing her arm. A small punishment courtesy of Lord Frieza." His smirk widened when he saw Vegeta's eyes flash with rage, growing more and more prominent by the second. "Her screams bounced off the walls, blood dripping down her arm, it was truly a sight. Maybe next time she'll think twice before insulting the emperor."

Vegeta's tail bristled three times its size and whipped behind him after hearing that. 

_'Why does the thought of her getting hurt make me so angry?! I don't care about her! Let her get tortured and see what life is really like outside of her cozy bubble!'_

As if to prove him wrong, he imagined Bulma screaming in agony, her blue hair in disarray and stained with her blood, her eyes flooded with tears of pain under Frieza or Zarbon's torture flashed and a fierce growl escaped his throat, his teeth bared threateningly. He'd rip both of them to shreds before they had a chance to lay a finger on her!

"Is something wrong, your Highness?" Zarbon asked in mock concern.

"Shut up! I've had enough of your talking! It's time for you to put up or shut up!" He said, falling into a fighting stance.

"Oh my, did I strike a nerve? Very well, I'll play with you little monkey. Then when we're done, I'll fetch your little girlfriend and we'll all head back together." The handsome warrior smiled widely. "Maybe before I take her back to Frieza, I'll keep her for myself so I can **properly** take care of her-"

_Whack!_

Zarbon's head flew to the side with the force of Vegeta's punch, before he found himself flying through the air from a powerful kick. He landed roughly, scarring his formerly flawless face. He twitched before standing up. He looked over at the Prince, murder visible in his gold eyes.

“You’ll pay dearly for that Vegeta!” 

Without a second thought, he charged straight for his foe. Vegeta quickly followed suit, the gap between them getting smaller by the second before they collided in a flurry of punches and kicks. 

Zarbon threw a punch at Vegeta, only for him to duck the move. He quickly followed with a sweep, trying to trip his opponent up. The Prince jumped up and flew into the air. Not wasting a moment, Zarbon quickly followed, charging in at full speed.

Vegeta watched his foe approach him and he clenched his fists, his aura beginning to glow around him. He charged a ki attack and thrust his arm towards Zarbon.

"Take this!" He quickly fired consecutive ki blasts at Zarbon. The green warrior dodged them as best he could, nearing Vegeta with every passing second. 

Zarbon phased behind Vegeta, holding his hands together as he brought them down to hammer on his foe, only for him to strike the air as Vegeta phased out of sight. He looked around, not seeing him anywhere-

"I'm over here fool!"

The handsome fighter's eyes bulged as he felt himself get struck in the back. He turned around preparing to attack, only for his eyes to meet an already charged ki attack. Before he could lift a finger, Vegeta fired, the force of the blast sending him plummeting towards the earth. He skidded across the rough terrain before coming to a halt, groaning in pain.

Vegeta landed behind him, his arms crossed arrogantly. "I'm beginning to think you like eating dirt Zarbon because that's twice I've knocked you to the ground now."

Zarbon stood up on shaky legs, wiping his lip. He grimaced at the sight of his blood on his sleeve before looking up Vegeta.

"You're awfully cocky monkey boy. You're so sure you've already won. Have you forgotten about what happened last time?"

"Of course not. How could I ever forget how hideous you looked when you transformed? Though if I'm being honest, there really isn't much of a difference between how you look now and when you've transformed." Vegeta said with a cruel smirk. 

Zarbon shook his head with a sardonic smile. "Such awful manners. And you call yourself a prince? I guess I'll just have to teach you a lesson in etiquette."

"Oh no, I'm shaking in my boots." Vegeta remarked sarcastically. "Hurry up and transform so we can get this over with."

Zarbon merely smirked in reply before he clenched his fists, his arms and legs bulging twice their size, his chest growing before he threw his head forward, his face completely different and grotesque.

Vegeta frowned, still creeped out by that monster's face before he dropped into a stance, ready and waiting.

Wasting no time, Zarbon charged at Vegeta full steam ahead. The Prince followed, flying to meet his foe head on.

It was on.

Zarbon swung his fist at Vegeta, who easily caught it and spun him around, tossing him higher into the air and following him up. The monster quickly recovered and flew down towards his foe. Vegeta was caught off guard when Zarbon punched him in the stomach, spit flying out of his mouth. The monster then brought his hands up, held together, and brought them down, slamming into Vegeta's back and sending him flying down.

The Prince took control of himself before he crashed and landed on his hands, somersaulting and getting to his feet. Instantly, his head whipped to the side when Zarbon unexpectedly punched him. He quickly followed with a roundhouse kick of his own, his guard up as Zarbon recovered quickly and sped towards him.

Zarbon was elated, Vegeta was struggling against him just as he expected. If this kept up then his victory would be assured and he could complete his mission.

Only moments later, that elation started turning into doubt as Vegeta suddenly upped the ante. The Prince quickly gained the upper hand and the fight started to turn into a massacre. Vegeta punched Zarbon straight in the nose, grinning at the audible crunch. The monster screamed and held his nose, trying to stem the bleeding. Seeing an opening he charged a ki blast and fired, sending Zarbon flying.

Zarbon stood up, his armor torn to shreds, and glared at Vegeta with hate in his eyes. "How? How are you beating me? It doesn't make any sense!"

Vegeta laughed, his arms crossed. "It makes perfect sense Pretty Boy. Since our last fight, I've become stronger, much stronger than you. When beaten near death, a Saiyan always comes back even stronger than before. And I was on the brink not long ago. But thanks to you putting me in the chamber, I'm more powerful than I've ever been."

The monster felt his heart start to beat faster, slowly beginning to understand just how grave his situation was.

"N-no. It can't be...you're lying!" He cried out.

"I can assure you I'm being completely honest. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be as strong as I am now." Vegeta smiled darkly at the fear in his rival's eyes. How he'd longed to see that look on Zarbon's face for years. It just made the wait that much sweeter. "I guess I should thank you for this. And what better way than to send you to hell where you belong."

"NO! I WON'T LET IT END LIKE THIS!" Zarbon yelled before firing continuous ki blasts where Vegeta was standing. The terrain shook with the force of his blasts, smoke and dust rising into the air with each passing second.

A moment later, he stopped, panting heavily and feeling exhausted to the bone. He kept his eyes on that spot, standing as still as a statue. His lips started turning up in a smile when the smoke cleared and there wasn't a trace of Vegeta to be seen. Zarbon chuckled softly before laughing hysterically.

"I did it! That filthy Saiyan is no more!" He laughed harder, his excitement going through the roof, before he calmed down slightly.

"Lord Frieza won't be too pleased when he finds out he's gone. But I think he'll understand once I bring the dragon balls and the girl back ."

"I wouldn't worry about Frieza if I were you.”

Zarbon quickly turned around to face the source of the voice, only to gasp in pained shock when he felt a fist go through his abdomen.

“He’ll be joining you soon enough.” Vegeta said, relishing the surprise in Zarbon’s eyes at his fatal attack.

Zarbon looked at Vegeta, panic coursing through his body. “Vegeta...please. I was just following orders.”

“Oh, is that right?”

He nodded vigorously.“Yes. Spare me...and we can...work-”

“Let me guess, we can work together and bring Frieza down once and for all?” Vegeta smirked at the hopeful look in Zarbon’s eyes. It was almost sad seeing his tormentor look so pathetic.

Almost.

“You and Cui must think I was born yesterday if you believe for one minute I would actually take your offers seriously. I know a two faced mongrel when I see one and you definitely fit the bill.” He said with furrowed eyebrows.

Zarbon frowned heavily, deciding to drop all pretenses right then. “You really think you...have what it takes to defeat Frieza? You’re an even bigger fool than I thought. No one can stand up to him, he’s the most powerful being in the universe.”

“Even with one foot in death’s door, you insist on sucking up to that lizard?”

“I’m not sucking up Vegeta. I’m merely...telling the truth. You don’t have what it takes to...defeat him.” He groaned, coughing up blood as Vegeta shoved his fist even deeper. His vision began to blur but he marched on, his eyes locked on his adversary. 

“Frieza will kill you for your mutiny...but not before he makes you watch him torment...your little blue haired friend.” Zarbon smiled when he saw the anger in Vegeta’s eyes at his words, his tail unravelled and whipping behind him in agitation. “Her days are numbered just as much as yours are. Frieza’s already shed her blood and he won’t stop until he’s had you...witness him break her frail body and dispose it into the cold reaches of space.”

Vegeta growled deep in his throat, his rage building by the second, before he closed his eyes. He opened them a second later, a deadly smirk crossing his lips. “That’s where you’re wrong Zarbon. I’m going to destroy Frieza and send him to hell where he belongs. And for all her blood he’s spilled, he’s going to pay back tenfold.” 

His smirk turned into a grin, a ki attack gathering in his buried hand. “He’ll never lay another hand on her. Nobody will. And that’s because...” He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a deceptively soft whisper. “She’s mine.”

“Ve...geta!”

“See you in hell Zarbon!” Ignoring his enemy’s cries, the Prince fired his attack, the blast going straight through him and sending him flying through the air, his lifeless body hurtling before crashing into the lake. The water rippled on the surface before becoming completely still, hiding the corpse of Frieza’s former right hand forever.

Vegeta lowered his hand and stared out at the water, his mind flying at top speed. He’d fulfilled the life long dream of killing one of this greatest tormentors.

But that wasn’t what was on his mind at the moment.

“I said...she was mine. I made a claim on the woman. A claim I have no business making!” He said, scowling heavily.

Vegeta remembered the conclusion he’d almost come to about Bulma when he first went after Zarbon. The more he thought about it, the more the possibility threatened to turn into a reality. Her scent, her spirit, her temper to rival his own. Not to mention, he’d almost marked her. She’d made him lose all his inhibitions until all he wanted was to bask in the softness of her body, the creaminess of her skin, the sweetness of her rosy lips. 

And just the mere thought of anyone laying a hand on her, the thought that Frieza had dared to mark her flawless skin…

Vegeta growled savagely, his tail lashing the air behind him.

His mate.

She was his mate. All the gods and their children be damned!

“Of all the sick jokes the universe could play on me, this takes the cup! I don’t need a mate! She’s nothing but a distraction! A hindrance in my plans to destroy Frieza and rule the universe as my own!” He yelled, his fists clenched so tight the only thing protecting his palms were his gloves.

Vegeta took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. She wasn’t even around and she was making him lose his control. He refused to let something as insignificant as this ruin his plans. He’s wanted this for far too long for it all to be tossed aside because of some weakling woman. There was only one thing left to do. Something he should’ve done a long time ago.

He levitated into the air before blasting off in the direction of the Capsule house. The Prince looked at the horizon with a stony expression, his eyes betraying the bloodlust he felt pounding through him by the second.

He needed to kill Bulma Briefs.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present to you another chapter! Yay! Blasts fireworks! 
> 
> I’m sorry this chapter took so long to come out. I’m very busy with varsity now so updates are going to take longer than before and this will carry on for a good while. I do appreciate your patience and wonderful comments though. Thank you so much guys!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As always, thank you to Hellsbells00, ShellaShenronZ, Nielsen, Anotherfan101 and Jessica Guerrero for your reviews on the last chapter! You guys are the best! And thank you to everyone who liked and saved or subscribed to this story!
> 
> Don’t forget to review! Peace, love and good vibes to you all✨🎆. Until next time everyone! Take care.
> 
> RR18❤🌹


	12. Lust For Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 1: Hey everyone! Happy New Year to you all! Yes I'm still alive and kicking! It's been over two months, sorry about that. I'll explain later but for now, on to the next chapter. I hope it was worth the wait *wink*. Enjoy!

**_M rating_ **

* * *

**_Chapter 12_ **

"Man, that feels so much better!" Bulma exclaimed as she stepped out the shower. After crawling through dark, humid vents on Frieza's ship and paddling through the lake, this was much needed. She'd gotten back to the house not too long ago sweaty, exhausted and just plain sore. Bulma put on a nightgown and shuffled over to the bed, unceremoniously crashing onto it.

The excitement of the last few days had finally caught up with her and boy was she starting to feel it. On the plus side, her arm was so much better than she expected. It had completely healed up and looked as good as new. The only flaw was the scars. They were thin and blended in with her pale skin but they were slightly visible, a permanent reminder of her encounter with the evil overlord. She shuddered as her mind went back to that awful moment, remembering it all in excruciating detail.

_ ‘I’ll never forget the look on Frieza’s face when he licked the blood from his fingers, that hideous smirk and the demented glee in his beady eyes. It made me want to puke.’  _ She mused with a disgusted grimace on her face. If what she had gotten was Frieza going easy on her, she could only imagine what him being serious was, especially towards Vegeta.

Vegeta…

“He should’ve been back by now, what if he’s-”, she shook her head vigorously, “No don’t think like that! I’m sure he’s fine and that he’s giving that creep what’s coming to him.” She said with conviction in her tone. But as much as she hated it, she was concerned that Vegeta was in trouble again. She wanted to believe that he could defeat Zarbon and come back unharmed but seeing as she found him with one foot in death’s door the first time, she couldn’t shake off the doubt about this fight.

She was thinking of waving off his orders to stay put and go to him, just to make sure he was okay and, you know, alive. But there was just one thing stopping her.

“It was what he said to me before I left...or rather the way in which he said it.” Bulma said, her eyes taking on a far away look.

**_Flashback_ **

_ “Woman. Head back to the house, right now. I’ll take care of this.” Vegeta ordered in a calm tone. _

_ Bulma’s eyes widened, her heart lurching slightly. “Are you insane? He almost killed you the first time!” _

_ The Prince groaned in frustration, ignoring Zarbon’s amused expression. He’d wipe it off of him soon enough. “For once, can you just do as I say without question?” _

_ “But-” _

_ “Bulma.” _

_ She paused, looking in his eyes as he faced her again. He’d said her name again. She knew he only did that when he was serious. His eyes conveyed that seriousness...and something else. Bulma hesitated for a second before sighing in defeat. _

_ “Okay, I’ll go. But you better come back in one piece otherwise I’ll wish you back to life and kill you myself. You got that?” _

_ Vegeta bit his cheek to hide his smirk and nodded once. _

**_End Flashback_ **

His face had been blank, she couldn’t read anything on it. It was his eyes, however, that had struck a chord in her. They’d had an emotion in them that she hadn’t thought possible for someone like him. Worry? Concern? She couldn’t really tell but somehow she knew that that’s what he’d felt. The thing is he hadn’t been feeling those things for himself, he’d felt them for her. Which shouldn’t be possible since he doesn’t care for anyone but himself, right?

The heiress sighed, rubbing her eyes with her hands. No, she couldn’t go to him. It’d be reckless of her and she knew she’d just be in the way. He needed his wits about him so he could kill that monster before he tried to take him back to Frieza. She placed her hands on her chest directly over her heart, trying to ease the slight fear she felt for Vegeta.

“Why? Why do I feel like this? Why am I so concerned about what happens to Vegeta? For goodness sake he kidnapped me and brought me here to help him find the dragon balls for his own selfish gain. I shouldn’t be feeling scared about what happens to him. Hell, I shouldn’t be feeling  **anything** for him.” And yet she did. It was unnerving.

The worry she felt for him was the same worry she felt for Yamcha when he went to fight the Saiyans when they’d first arrived, only this was more intense. When they’d had their first meal in months before looking for the first dragon ball, things had been relaxed and easy between them. She’d actually enjoyed his company and had felt slight regret when she’d brought up a topic that had obviously hit a nerve. Which confused her. Sure she cared about what happened to him like any decent person would but the real question is: why did she care about him at all? What has he done to elicit such feelings of concern and endearment towards him?

“Nothing. He’s done nothing for me to start feeling like this towards him. Nothing at all.” She said with a nod.

Except...he has.

Bulma had seen the respect he had for those who respect him even if they were weaker than him, his determination to break free of his captor and of course, his concern for her and her safety. All things that shouldn’t really be a factor but for someone as impenetrable and cold as Vegeta, they all spoke volumes. She suddenly gasped, her eyes wide in realisation.

She liked him. 

She liked his stubborn determination, his brazen attitude, his bravery and his proud nature. She liked how he made her feel when he kissed her and made her body burn with passion, something that she and Yamcha had been lacking for a long time. She just liked him. It was as simple as it was complicated. 

Bulma covered her mouth as she yawned, her exhaustion quickly overwhelming her. Maybe a small nap was what she needed. Kami knows she hasn’t slept since she arrived on this planet.

“Please, come back in one piece Vegeta. Don’t you dare die on me you dweeb.” She whispered under her breath, her eyes sliding shut.

* * *

The heiress jumped awake when she heard the front door open and click shut. Hoping it was who she thought it was, she jumped off the bed and rushed out of the bedroom, skidding to a halt in the living room. Her eyes shot to the door and she breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw that it was in fact Vegeta, looking a bit haggard but was thankfully in one piece.

“Thank Kami you made it back.” She started going towards him but stopped when she saw the look on his face. It was eerily blank but his eyes were a different story, what she saw in them unsettling her. She saw a burning desire in his eyes and yet she had a bad feeling in her heart. Swiping it off as her imagination, with a small smile on her face, she carried on.

“Seeing as you’re here then I can safely assume you managed to defeat Zarbon.” Her blood ran cold at the answering eerie smirk he gave her.

Something was wrong. She didn’t know what but she had a really bad feeling about this.

Vegeta slowly started to approach her, his smirk never leaving his face. “I didn’t just defeat him woman. I toyed with him, letting the fool believe he had a chance against me, before I punched a hole in his abdomen and blasted it to smithereens. That succubus is lying dead at the bottom of a lake.”

Bulma swallowed, feeling slightly sick at his tale of victory. 

“That’s great, good for you.” She said barely above a whisper. It’s not that she didn’t want Zarbon to die, she did one hundred percent. She just didn’t want to hear the gory details. She’d already seen him in action and she believed she’d seen enough for one lifetime.

“And yet I couldn’t even enjoy my victory.” He said, his smirk turning into a dark scowl. “Do you know why?”

She shook her head in the negative, slowly walking backwards.

“I realised that I wouldn’t be truly satisfied until I've spilled the blood of everyone trying to stop me from achieving my goal of immortality was permanently out of my way. Every. Last. One.”

Alarm bells were going off, her heart starting to beat faster in trepidation. She didn’t speak, just waited for...something. She felt herself bump into the counter behind her, her hand landing on a capsule.

“Of course the most obvious course of action would be to eliminate them all now rather than later.” He said, a deadly smile on his face. Suddenly the desire in his eyes made perfect sense. It wasn’t because he wanted her...

“Starting with you.” The Prince said in a deceptively sweet tone, his smile still in place.

It was because he wanted to  **kill** her.

Bulma quickly swung her head at the door. “Krillin! Gohan! You guys have to get out of here! Vegeta’s going to kill us!”

Vegeta turned his head towards the door. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Bulma tossed the capsule at him and dashed for the bedroom. She needed her capsule case pronto! Her guns may not help against him but she wasn’t going down without a fight! She’d sooner die than let him touch Krillin and Gohan.

The Prince looked down at the ropes tightly wrapped around him. With a roll of his eyes, he flexed and the bindings snapped, falling at his feet. He turned towards where his little captive ran and stalked to the room, feeling excitement run through him.

The hunt begins.

He walked into the bedroom and laughed at the image before him.

“Don’t take another step unless you want to eat lead!” Bulma exclaimed, her machine gun trained at Vegeta, her finger on the trigger.

He smirked at her. “Do you really think that’s going to do anything to me?”

“No, of course not. But if you think I’m going to get on my knees and beg you to spare me, you’ve got another thing coming!” 

“Oh, is that right?”

“Yes!” With a fierce conviction in her voice, she carried on. “I’d sooner die than scream and cry like a helpless damsel in distress. Sorry **your Highness** but that’s not going to happen!” She spat out the title as if it was something bitter.

Vegeta stared at her blankly for a second before a small chuckle escaped him. “That’s too bad.”

Faster than her eyes could follow, he phased directly in front of her and grabbed the gun, crushing it in a second. “I was going to kill you anyway but the begging would have been a bonus.” With that, he wrapped his hand around her neck and pushed her against the wall, his body right up against hers. 

This was it. She was finally going to die by his hand. No more distractions! His smirk widened when he detected the scent of her fear waffling around them.

Instinctively reaching up, Bulma dug her nails into his gloved hand and looked him dead in the eye. "Why Vegeta? Why now? What changed?"

He barked out a scornful laugh. "Nothing's changed woman. My plan was to get the dragon balls for myself, remember? If I recall correctly, that was your plan as well so you could wish back your pitiful friends. Hence why I need you out of the way."

_ 'Liar.'  _ He ignored the voice in his head. He wouldn't be distracted from this.

"Out of the way? For your information Vegeta, I've been trying to help you since the Namekian village." Bulma poked him in the chest, her tone growing stronger with every word. 

"I mean, good Kami I even risked my ass to save you on Frieza's ship, almost losing my arm in the process." She shoved her scarred arm in his face. "So don't you dare try and dictate my motives to me, understand?!"

Vegeta looked at her arm, his jaw clenching tightly when he saw the pale scars on her skin. He felt rage flow through him in waves, the will to murder stronger than ever before. That lizard was going to pay dearly for this.

_ 'Focus!'  _ He reminded himself. 

"And why would you do that? Why would you try to 'save me' you foolish woman? Do you have a death wish?!" 

"No I don't! Well, not for me anyway." She said.

He raised an eyebrow at that, prompting her to continue. Bulma clenched her fists. If she played her cards right, she could get out of this position and ensure her and her friends safety.

"At the village, the elder told me that the dragon balls here grant three wishes instead of one. In that spirit, you can have a wish for yourself and we get the others. Everyone wins."

The Prince gazed her dead in the eye, detecting no lies in their depths. He looked down, contemplating her words. They certainly held merit. He could get his wish and she could get hers.

He paused at that thought. Since when did he care about making deals and helping others. This was exactly why he was here. She was too great of a threat to his goal of immortality, of becoming a Super Saiyan. He narrowed his eyes, turning his deadly gaze on her. 

"No." 

Bulma's eyes widened before she breathed out a laugh, confusing Vegeta a tad.

“Well then, what are you waiting for? A written invitation?”

The Prince growled, tightening his hold on her throat. She gave a very Vegeta-like smirk in response, the air around them was charged, the tension between them so thick it was almost suffocating.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes dangerously before tightening his hold a bit more, watching her calmly shut her eyes. Loathe as he was to admit it, he was quite impressed with her, not showing even a hint of cowardice in the face of danger. He should kill her for her insolence.

And kill her he would.

He charged a small ki ball in his free hand and moved it to her abdomen, ready to exterminate her the same way he did Zarbon. He was ready. He moved his eyes back to hers, wanting to see the life slowly leaving them.

Too late did he realise he’d made a mistake.

Her eyes were open again and they shone bright with life, defiance, pure stubborn will...and something uncomfortably familiar.

Belief.

It was the same belief she held in her eyes when he threatened her the first time after the failed genocide at the Namekian village. Even after everything she’s said, all her actions up until now, she still held the slight belief that he wouldn’t kill her. Just who was this woman? Was she an idiot? Clearly she was if she still believed she wasn't going to die by his hand. Bulma stubbornly held his gaze, the fire in her eyes scorching him with their heat. 

And damn if his body wasn’t responding. His tail unwound from his waist and swayed softly behind him. His Oozaru howled at the back of his head, demanding that he take her and claim her as his own, damn the consequences. 

Vegeta closed his eyes, trying to remember what he was there for. He took a deep breath, taking in more of her sweet scent. It made things so much worse. His control was hanging on by a thread, desire going through him in waves.

“I told you before and I’ll tell you again,” her voice dropped to a whisper, “Do your worst. I’m all yours.”

I’m all yours.

_ Yours. _

He snapped his eyes open, giving her a wolfish grin.

_ ‘You have no idea what you've just done Bulma.' _

The heiress was unprepared as Vegeta suddenly surged forward and claimed her lips in a breath stealing kiss. She gasped in shock, allowing him to slip his tongue in her mouth. He tilted her head back with his hand, taking full control of the kiss.

_ 'Kami, it's so much better than the first time.'  _ Bulma mused as she happily responded to his fiery kiss. She slid her hands up into his hair, relishing the soft feel of them. 

The Prince rubbed himself against her, letting her feel his desire for her, chuckling at her sharp intake of breath. She broke the kiss to catch her breath and without missing a beat, he trailed down her neck, leaving hot open mouthed kisses on the way.

"W-why are you doing this if," she moaned lightly when she felt him caress her neck with his tongue, "If you wanted to 'spill my blood'."

The Prince laughed darkly against her neck, relishing the shiver he felt her give off, before he whipped her around and pulled her against him, her back to his front. 

"Oh I do." He slowly slid his hands up her body and cupped her breasts, gently stroking her nipples through the satin. "I just intend to do it in a different way." He whispered darkly.

_ What does that mean? _

Vegeta lit a small kernel of ki at the end of his finger and placed it at the top of her nightgown. Slowly, he dragged his finger down her body, tearing the satin dress perfectly in half. 

Bulma gasped at the sound and looked down to see her ruined dress pool at her feet, leaving her in her underwear. 

_ 'That was one of my favourites!'  _

Before she could try to rip him a new one, she quickly found herself facing him again. She opened her mouth to say something but her words died at the look in his eyes.

His gaze practically burned her with the intensity of his want, his smile spoke of his sinful promise to fulfill her most darkest fantasies. No one, not even Yamcha had ever looked at her like that. It almost made her whimper. 

He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her, Bulma instinctively wrapping her legs around his waist, and started walking towards the bed. Vegeta lifted his head and kissed her, biting her bottom lip and releasing it with a pop before unceremoniously dropping her in the middle of the bed. She moved up to the end, watching him all the while.

"Stay right there." The Prince softly commanded as he looked down at her, letting his eyes take in all of her. From her striking blue hair, her creamy skin, her full breasts and shapely legs. Most of all, her eyes that were just begging him to ravish her. He smirked deviously at her while he took off his gloves.

And ravish her he would.

The heiress looked up at him while he undressed, seemingly not in a rush. While he was busy, questions started popping in her head.

Was she insane? Yes. Is this what she wanted? Yes. Was she really about to do this with Vegeta of all people? 

"Eyes on me."

She looked up at him and her mouth suddenly felt dry.

Yes, hell yes.

He was half naked, tanned skin wrapped around a body sculpted from war and battles. Scars littered his torso but he wore them with pride. He was simply...beautiful. Her hands twitched with the need to touch him, to run her fingers along his skin and adorn his body with kisses.

Vegeta stepped forward to the edge and let his tail softly wrap around her ankle, pulling her back to the middle. He leaned over her, leaving the tiniest space between them before he closed the gap and kissed her passionately, wrapping his hands around her wrists and pulling her arms over her head.

Bulma pulled back to catch her breath, moaning quietly when he started trailing kisses down her neck, massaging her breasts at the same time. Her hips bucked when she felt his hot breath on her chest, eagerly awaiting his next move.

The Prince lightly ghosted his tongue over her nipple, chuckling at her squirming. He slowly circled his hips, rubbing against Bulma, biting his lip at the friction.

_ 'Claim her.'  _

_ 'No.' _

"Yes." The heiress moaned when she felt him suck on her breasts, digging her hands into his hair. He switched between both breasts, sucking on them until they were red and swollen. She panted, trying to catch her breath. 

She was so distracted that she didn't notice Vegeta's tail wrap around her thigh, slowly spreading her legs. His hands glided sensually down her body, over her stomach and stopping just short of his target. Bulma bit her lip, her body shifting around the bed.

_ 'Kami if he doesn't stop teasing me, I'll-' _

She moaned softly when she felt him stroke her inside her underwear. She squirmed around, her hips following his touch. Bulma moved to grip his hair only for him to grip her wrists and hold them above her head. She opened her eyes to see him smirking above her.

"Keep still now woman." He teased. 

Bulma opened her mouth to speak, only for a gasp to come out when he slid a finger in her. He gently thrust his hand, adding a second finger. Vegeta kissed her, swirling his tongue around hers, swallowing her moans and gasps. He groaned when her breasts grazed his chest, his cock growing harder if that was even possible. His pants felt unbearably tight.

He picked up the pace, stroking her clit with his thumb, watching her unravel beneath him. She swivelled her hips, wanting more friction. Bulma felt a tightening at the bottom of her stomach, her moans turning into gasps. She was close, so close…

The Prince lit his fingers with ki and thrust, hitting her in just the right spot. Bulma arched her back, gripping the sheets tightly and loudly moaning her release. She fell back, gasping for breath. Her body felt like jelly. She looked up and saw Vegeta suck his fingers clean, looking at her all the while. She whimpered at the sight. It was erotic as hell.

Vegeta straightened up, sliding his pants off. "Silence becomes you woman. You should definitely talk less." He teased, lying on top of her.

The little troll thought he was funny. Bulma narrowed her eyes at him, biting her lip at the feel of him rubbing against her. She'd rip him a new one...as soon as they were done.

The Prince groaned as he entered her, with her sighing in pleasure, feeling her tighten around him. He held still for a moment to let her adjust. Vegeta panted against her neck, fighting to keep still. 

His control broken, he started to move. Vegeta slid out almost completely before thrusting back in, biting his lip at the waves of pleasure washing through him. He grabbed Bulma's thighs and wrapped her legs around him.

"Oh Kami." She cried out at him going deeper. She timed her thrusts with his, dragging her nails down his back hard, relishing the groan he gave off. She arched her back, digging her hands in his hair.

_ 'Mark her.'  _ The voice whispered louder than before. 

_ 'Shut up!'  _ Vegeta retorted. He heavily picked up the pace, almost trying to drown out the voice in his head. The Prince leaned down and kissed her, sucking her tongue into his mouth, swallowing her delicious moans.

She nodded slightly, dragging her nails down his back, filling the space around them with gasps and pleas to do more, go harder, faster. And he was all too happy to oblige, driving into her. 

Bulma felt the telltale tightening in her abdomen, her thrusts becoming erratic. Her gasps turned high pitched, she was almost there.

"Vegeta!" She screamed out her release, his name music to his ears. He went faster, chasing his own end. 

The Prince groaned his release, squeezing her against him before falling on top of her, rolling over so he wouldn't crush her. He dragged her head down and heatedly kissed her. They separated and Bulma buried her face in the crook of his neck, panting heavily, trying to catch her breath. His gaze moved down to her own neck, and the beast within him howled. 

_ 'Mark her!' _

_ 'No! She's just a distraction! A pleasurable one but a distraction nonetheless, nothing more!'  _

The Prince warred with his Oozaru, fighting his natural instincts. His eyes flickered a blood red before becoming dark again. He felt his canines elongate, pressuring him to give in, throw caution to the wind and claim Bulma Briefs as his mate.

_ 'Mate. My mate. Mine.' _

Riding on the high of his release, his defenses against his instincts proved futile. Vegeta moved closer to her unmarked throat, scraping his teeth against her skin, eliciting a moan from the woman on top of him.

The Prince wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to him. He turned her head slightly, exposing her neck to him even more. 

"Mine." He growled under his breath and moved forward, planting hot open mouthed kisses, dragging out more wonderful sounds from her. Vegeta chuckled wickedly and placed his mouth on her, sucking on the skin slightly.

"Mmm Vegeta." She whispered softly, her voice a siren's song to his ears, calling out to him.

Spurred on by his siren's sweet voice, Vegeta slowly licked the spot between her neck and shoulder before moving in for the kill. He was to mark Bulma Briefs as his own.

_ 'Just as it should be.' _

* * *

**_Author's Note 2 (Kinda long):_ ** And that concludes this chapter! Woohoo! You all receive a love scene for your patience lmao! And what of Vegeta? Will our conflicted Prince actually listen to his instincts? Find out next time haha! I hope you guys liked it.

Okay so as I said before, I'll summarise my kind of long disappearance.

One word. Life. That's it. The trials of this game we play called life. I'll be honest, I took a longer break than usual since I was just tired. What with uni stress and this pandemic messing things up, I just wanted to unwind and relax before the rat race began again. I'm in my final year and this year is gonna prove to be the most stressful so I'll be focusing a lot more on my studies going forward.

But at the same time, I had a lightbulb moment. I realised that I shouldn't be adding more stress onto me by trying to update my fic every month. That in itself is a guarantee that I'll drop the ball and deliver mediocre content and that's not it fam. But at the same time, I remember that at the end of the day, this is just a hobby. So here comes the lightbulb. As long as I keep delivering my best work to you guys, I don't need to push myself to complete an imaginary deadline. 

That doesn't mean I'll take six months per chapter, that would be horrible lol. But I will deliver updates that would be worth the wait, that's for sure. Oh and side note, I'm thinking of writing a Goku/ChiChi one shot just to test the waters with another pairing. I personally think they're a great couple and I don't see enough fanfics for them. Kinda sad when I think about it.

Yeah so that's it. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk guys. I'm sorry for boring you with that rant, I just had to get it out there.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this spicy chapter. As always, thank you all for your reviews on the last chapter. It's always appreciated 100% :D!

Peace, love and good vibes to you all! Please remember to review and I'll see you guys next time! Take care and stay safe, happy and healthy!

RR18🌹

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed that. I’ve got high hopes for this fic. Please don’t forget to review. Stay safe and healthy everybody. Peace, love and good vibes to you all! Till next time!
> 
> RR18❤🌹


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